2017 NJSBCL Division 1 Champions!

NJ Stars with a superlative all round performance won the 2017 NJSBCL Division I Championship defeating Legends in the finals. They had a great season to win again after a gap of 2 years.

2017 NJSBCL Division 2 Champions!

F5 team held their nerves to edge out Jersey Rangers to win a close fought final to become 2017 NJSBCL Division II Champions.

NJSBCL Player Promise

"Cricket places the responsibility of fair play on me. I promise to abide by the rules, give the benefit of the doubt to my opponents and compete with true spirit of sportsmanship. I recognize my behavior on the field is a direct reflection of my character. Win or Lose, I promise to conduct myself in a manner that honors my opponent, my team, those who support me, and the game of Cricket."

CRICKET NEWS

How ICC used Amir to educate players on perils of 'fixing'- The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit on Monday said tainted Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir's video in which he admitted his guilt and also described the after-effect of his wrongdoing is being used to educate cricketers about the consequences of indulging in corrupt practices like spot-fixing and match-fixing.

PCB stops women's team from travelling to India for WT20- PCB stops women's team from travelling to India for WT20 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stopped its national women's team from going to India until it gets written security assurances and guarantees for the World T20 in India.

Shakib suffers injury but 'will play' in the final- There was some bad news in the Bangladesh camp ahead of their big Asia Cup Twenty20 final against India with vice-captain and top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan sustaining a "left hip-flex injury" in a training session.

Focus on Iyer as Mumbai face Rest of India in Irani Cup- The domestic season-ending five-day Irani Cup game between newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai and the Rest of India, commencing in Mumbai from Sunday, will provide fringe players a good opportunity to stake claims for the national team.

Asia Cup: Can Bangladesh stop the UNSTOPPABLE Team India?- Unstoppable so far with clinical performances, a formidable India will square off against a passionate and sprightly Bangladesh in their quest for continental supremacy in the final of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, in Mirpur, on Sunday.

Pakistan trump Sri Lanka to secure third spot- Pakistan's batting finally came good as they successfully chased down a competitive total posted by Sri Lanka to win by six wickets in an inconsequential final round robin league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament in Mirpur on Friday.

'I never felt like I was playing my first match'- A bundle of nerves ahead of his international debut in the ongoing Asia Cup, India all-rounder Pawan Negi said emotions were getting the better of him before senior players like skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped in with their calming words.

Martin Crowe and the catch that stamped his commitment to cricket- Kapil Dev's running catch at the boundary, to dismiss Viv Richards, is widely remembered by fans and cricketers alike, but Martin Crowe's effort to pocket a lunging catch and dismiss Zimbawe's Dave Houghton in the 1987 Reliance World Cup will always be special, reckons Siva Sankar

Bangladesh skipper hints at retirement- Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, on Friday, hinted that he may end his international career after the 2016 season with the ICC World T20 in all likelihood his last global event.

Can this Indian T20 team win anywhere in the world?- India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels the current Indian team is a "balanced" side which can "take on any team anywhere in the world" at least in the shortest format of the game after they notched up their ninth win in 10 matches.

Supreme Court pulls up BCCI over reluctance to accept Lodha recommendations- The BCCI submitted a 60-page affidavit to the Supreme Court in which it stated it's opposition to certain points in the Lodha Committee report including one association and one vote for each state and also the inclusion of a representative of the Comptroller and auditor general (CAG) in the Board.

Cricketers who lost their battle to the Big C- On Thursday morning, the world woke up to the news of the death of iconic New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe. A teenage prodigy, who went on to carve an illustrious career with his superlative batting and smart captaincy, lost his three-year long battle against cancer at the age of 53.

Thakur hopeful of Indo-Pak WT20 match in Dharamsala, BCCI has no plan B- The Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur on Thurday said he is hopeful of the Himachal Pradesh government giving the go ahead for the World Twenty20 match between India and Pakistan in Dharamsala following a meeting with state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

'Crowe was a deep and innovative thinker of the game'- In a statement, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said Crowe was a true legend of the game who had earned the admiration and respect of millions of cricket fans across the globe with his stylish stroke-play and strong-minded determination.

Why Steyn fears for future of fast bowlers...- In the wake of increasing dominance of batsmen in cricket, South Africa pace spearhead Dale Steyn believes that fast bowling would disappear if future generations focus solely on their work with the willow.

Mashrafe Mortaza: Pakistan's envy and Bangladesh's pride- Call it a compulsion, but sporting achievements are often measured by numbers in hand and that is precisely why it will be difficult to analyse Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza's influence and contribution in the country's ever-growing cricketing ambitions.

Dhoni's take: Why the T20 format suits India best- The emergence of young Jasprit Bumrah as a potent death overs bowler has come as a huge relief for Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who complimented the Gujarat lad for being equally effective with the new ball.

Why Yuvraj believes he has rediscovered his golden touch- Flamboyant left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh says he felt like he rediscovered his old touch en route to a breezy 35, which played a pivotal role in India's five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup match, in Mirpur, on Tuesday.

Yuvraj, Kohli power India into Asia Cup final - Indian bowlers once again put up an impressive performance by restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 138 for nine in the third round robin encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament in Dhaka on Tuesday.

How Dravid plans to revive Delhi Daredevils' fortunes in IPL 9- Delhi Daredevils, one of the worst-performing franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League, have turned to former India captain and ex-Rajasthan Royals mentor Rahul Dravid to take their charge of their team in the upcoming ninth season of Twenty20 extravaganza, starting next month.

Dravid to mentor Delhi Daredevils in IPL 9; Upton named coach- Dravid recently coached the Indian team at the Under-19 World Cup. He was mentor of Rajasthan Royals in the last two seasons of the IPL before the franchise was suspended from the T20 tournament for two years by the Justice Lodha Committee in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the sixth edition of the T20 tournament in 2013.

Himachal doesn't want to host India v Pak WT20 tie, BCCI in a fix- The much-awaited India-Pakistan World Twenty20 clash is in jeopardy after the Himachal Pradesh government expressed its inability to provide security for the match, leaving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a bind with Board Secretary Anurag Thakur saying that the state should not 'play politics'.

Ambrose tips West Indies to win World T20- Curtly Ambrose, the West Indies pace legend and the team's bowling consultant, backed it to win the ICC World Twenty20 2016. The squad, he said, had numerous match-winners suited for the format.

Aussie quick Pattinson sidelined once again- Australia pace bowler James Pattinson has suffered a recurrence of shin soreness that kept him on the sidelines for much of January and been ordered to rest for the remainder of the season.

ICC, Indian govt responsible for Pak's security: PCB boss- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that it is the joint responsibility of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian government to ensure best security for the Pakistan team in the World T20.

BCCI media manager cleared of Conflict of Interest charge- The Board of Control for Cricket in India's ombudsman, Justice (Retd) A P Shah, has dismissed allegations of 'Conflict of Interest' against the its media manager, Nishant Arora, saying the charges levelled by independent activist Neeraj Gunde "cannot be an issue of consideration".

Team keen on rematch with India, says Malik- Pakistan's experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik has said that he and his teammates are keen to set up a rematch with India in the final of the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh.

Why Ashwin won't complain about pitches- India's premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has no complaints about the seaming track at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur despite it not offering much assistance to the spinners. The off-spinner believes it is important to understand the different conditions and adapt accordingly.

Asia Cup: Fresh injury concerns for India against depleted Sir Lanka- Injuries to key players such as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma is giving them the jitters but India would still be firm favourites when they take on a depleted and struggling Sri Lanka in their penultimate league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, in Mirpur, on Tuesday.

Pakistan in good shape for World T20: Misbah- Despite losing their first Asia Cup encounter against arch-rivals India, Pakistan's former T20 captain Misbah-ul-Haq feels Shahid Afridi's boys look in good shape for the crucial World T20 to be held in India in March.

Kohli vs Aamir is as exciting as Shoaib vs Tendulkar? Tell Us!- From Eden Gardens to Centurion, Shoaib Akhtar has had many memorable on-field battles with India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and he feels that Mohammed Aamir and Virat Kohli's face-offs will also go down the cricket history as one of the epic duels.

Asia Cup: Bangladesh upset Sri Lanka; keep hopes alive- Bangladesh registered a 23-run upset victory over defending champions Sri Lanka in a round robin league encounter to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the final of Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament, in Mirpur, on Sunday.

5 Reasons why Kohli went into 'non-T20' zone against Pakistan- India's flamboyant batsman Virat Kohli has conceded that the Pakistani attack he faced in the Asia Cup T20 was one of the most challenging spells of fast bowling but nonetheless expressed delight that his side had the last laugh as he guided India to a five-wicket victory.

Why Ashwin is rated above Nathan Lyon...- Pakistan spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has described Ravichandran Ashwin as a 'world-class bowler', insisting that the Indian star spinner is way ahead of his contemporaries.

Kohli fined for showing dissent at umpire- Virat Kohli has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire after being adjudged lbw during his side's Asia Cup T20 match against Pakistan in Mirpur.

Injury scare for Rohit Sharma?- India opener Rohit Sharma underwent a precautionary x-ray, on Sunday, after being hit on the left toe in the very first ball he faced against Pakistan.

'What Aamir did was his fault, no one should cry'- Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has termed Mohammed Aamir's performance against India as 'outstanding' but at the same time said his sufferings in the last five years after being convicted for spot-fixing has been his own fault for which no one should feel bad.

Dhoni takes a dig at match officials...- India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not at all pleased with the use of some of the umpiring devices like ear-piece which he feels prevents the on-field official from hearing snicks and edges in a packed stadium.

Nagpur gets a glimpse of World T20 trophy- India pacer Umesh Yadav was the cynosure of all eyes at an event in Nagpur on Saturday when the ICC World T20 trophies were introduced to the Orange City as part of the tournament's host city tour.

Bangladesh open account with 51-run win over UAE- Mahmudullah Riyadh produced an all-round effort to guideBangladesh to a comprehensive 51-run win against United Arab Emirates, as the host opened their account in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Mirpur on Friday.

MCA's Rs 2 crore bounty for its Ranji Trophy champs- The Mumbai squad led by Aditya Tare, which thrashed Saurashtra by an innings and 21 runs in the Ranji Trophy final inside three days, has earned a cash bonus of Rs 2 crore from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

Dhoni skips nets; arch-rivals don't interact- Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and veteran pacer Ashish Nehra on Friday did not come for Indian team's pre-match day training after being advised rest ahead of the crucial Asia Cup T20 game against Pakistan, in Fatullah on Saturday.

It's my pacers against Dhoni's batsmen: Afridi- Supremely confident of his pace attack, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Friday said his fast bowlers are capable of sending the Indian top-order packing in the first six overs itself when the two teams lock horns in the Asia Cup T20 group league match, in Fatullah on Saturday.

We have a plan against all Pakistani bowlers: Rohit- Indian opener Rohit Sharma said that the team will not only be thinking of Pakistan's ace pacer Muhammed Amir, who has made a successful comeback after being suspended owing to match-fixing, but the team has a plan to counter all bowlers from the arch-rivals.

Eyes fixed on Amir as India take on Pakistan in Asia Cup- World cricket's most intriguing rivalry will once again be renewed when India take on an unpredictable Pakistan with rehabilitated pacer Mohammad Aamir being the focus of attention in a round-robin league encounter of the Asia Cup T20 tournament, in Mirpur, on Saturday.

Virat Kohli tops Forbes Asia list- Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli, tennis star Sania Mirza and top-seeded badminton player Saina Nehwal lead the pack of over 50 Indians in Forbes' inaugural list of top promising young leaders and game changers under the age of 30 in Asia.

As Viv Richards bid fails, PCB eyes Sangakkara- PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told the media that negotiations with Richards were wrapped up as the two parties could not agree on financial details and the West Indian legend also had prior commitments.

Ranji final: Iyer's ton hands Mumbai slender first innings lead- Shreyas Iyer scored a fine century to enable Mumbai take the first innings lead against Saurashtra on the second day of the five-day Ranji Trophy final, in Pune, on Thursday. The 21-year-old, who registered his sixth first-class century while scoring 117 off 142 balls, that included 15 boundaries and two sixes, singlehandedly guided Mumbai to 262 for 8 off 66 overs, in reply to Saurashtra's 235 all out.

Harbhajan not treated well by Indian cricket: Saqlain- Practitioners of the same art do have fellow feelings and no wonder pioneer of 'doosra' Saqlain Mushtaq feels sad about the manner in which the senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been sidelined by the team management.

Six Indians in ICC match officials' list for World T20- Six Indians, including match referee Javagal Srinath, on Thursday found a place in the ICC's 31-strong Playing Control Team for next month's World Twenty20, which will also feature women match officials for the first time.

Australia regain ICC Test mace; also finish No 1-ranked ODI team- Australia regained the prestigious ICC Test mace and also won a cash award of $1million after beating New Zealand in the Christchurch Test by seven wickets and winning the series 2-0 on Wednesday. Australia finished two points ahead of India with 112 points in the final series before the April 1 cut-off date.

Smith leads Australia back to Test summit- Australia returned to the top of the Test world rankings on Wednesday after Steve Smith and Adam Voges steered the tourists to victory in the second Test against New Zealand to seal a comprehensive 2-0 series win.

Indian eves beat SL in 2nd T20, clinch series- The Indian women's cricket team survived a mid-innings collapse to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the second Twenty20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Smith wants Australia to keep enjoying life at the top- Australia have achieved what Steve Smith set out to do when he assumed the captaincy last year by climbing to the top of the test rankings after beating New Zealand on Wednesday with the batsman admitting the trick now "was to stay there".

Smith charged with dissent, takes it on the chin after win- Steve Smith's joy at leading Australia to a Test series win over New Zealand that took them back to the top of the world rankings on Wednesday was tempered by the news he had been charged with dissent for his role in a confrontation with an umpire.

Kohli sees Asia Cup as whole package before WT20- Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli said the Asia Cup starting in Mirpur, on Wednesday, is a perfect platform to assess the team's strengths, weaknesses and its current standing on the global stage ahead of the big-ticket World Twenty20 next month.

Mighty Mumbai eye 41st Ranji title against Saurashtra- A young but mighty Mumbai have history and form firmly on their side when they chase their 41st Ranji Trophy title by locking horns with Saurashtra, who are taking a rare shot at domestic cricket's biggest prize, in the summit showdown beginning in Pune from Wednesday.

Who the f*** is the third umpire, fumes Hazlewood- Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood pleaded guilty to a dissent charge after launching an expletive-laden tirade when a decision went against him in the second Test versus New Zealand on Tuesday.

Kohli happy to see tainted Aamir back in international cricket- The jury is still out on whether Pakistan pacer Mohammad Aamir, who returned to international cricket after serving a five-year ban for his role in spot-fixing, should have been allowed to return to cricket but Indian vice-captain Virat Kohli is 'happy' to see the talented left-arm pacer back.

Kohli can't strike big sixes and he knows it!- He is among the most dreaded batsmen in international cricket right now but Indian swashbuckler Virat Kohli says he has made peace with one short coming in his game, that he can't strike big sixes.

Anuja powers India Women to 34-run win over SL- Anuja Patil produced a cameo with the bat to lift the team to 130 and then took three wickets to guide India Women to a 34-run win over Sri Lanka Women in the first Twenty20 International on Monday.

Scuffed ball downplayed as Australia push for win- Both Australia and New Zealand played down any significance of the umpires warning the visitors for throwing the ball to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill on the bounce in order to aid its deterioration during the third day of the second Test on Monday.

Viv Richards lauds McCullum for breaking his record- West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards has lauded swashbuckling New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum for posting the fastest ton in Test cricket off just 54 balls, bidding adieu to the game on an incredible high.

How Sachin-Sourav partnership inspires openers Dhawan-Rohit- Their understanding of each other's game improving with every match, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has said that he and Rohit Sharma would look to not just emulate, but surpass the success of the legendary opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly.

Dhoni hails army amidst freedom of speech debate- Amid continuing uproar on the issue of freedom of expression in the country, Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday called for respect to the armed forces, saying that the nation is in a position to debate because of the men in uniform.

Smith earns praise after battling head knock to hit century- Australia captain Steve Smith shook off a sickening blow to the back of his head and notched up his 14th test century, earning the praise of his team mates and New Zealand opponents at the end of the second day of the second test on Sunday.

Burns & Smith put Australia in command - Joe Burns and Steve Smith capitalised on perfect batting conditions to score centuries as Australia reduced New Zealand's lead to just seven runs at the end of day two of the second test on Sunday.

Khanna kept out of all DDCA Committees for World T20- Senior Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president and top DDCA official CK Khanna has been kept out of the two primary committees that will look into the organisation of the International Cricket Council World T20 matches at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

McCullum hits fastest Test century in farewell match- New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum set a new record for the fastest Test century after lunch on the first day of the second Test against Australia on Saturday when he clouted exactly 100 runs in 54 balls.

All you want to know Brendon McCullum- Factbox on New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who will retire from international cricket after the second Test against Australia, starting in Christchurch from Thursday.

I was prepared to take criticism: Sachin Tendulkar- Well aware that he would not pick up the willow again, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar had discussed his last dismissal with his elder brother Ajit even after his farewell Test against the West Indies in November 2013.

Deepti scalps 6/20, India women's whitewash Lanka - Medium-pacer Deepti Sharma grabbed six wickets before Veda Krishnamurthy scored a half-century as India women completed 3-0 clean sweep after posting a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI on Friday at Ranchi.

Graeme Smith rules out international comeback- Former South African skipper Graeme Smith, who appeared in the recently-concluded Masters Champions League ( MCL) in Dubai, has ruled out the possibility of his comeback to the international cricket.

BCCI asks Manohar to discuss financial restructuring of ICC- BCCI president Shashank Manohar, who is committed to ending the monopoly of India, Australia and England in the ICC, has been asked by working committee to apprised them of the steps that are being taken regarding the financial restructuring of the global cricket body.

Pakistan court dismisses Kohli fan's bail plea- Notwithstanding a clean chit from the police, a Pakistani court dismissed the bail plea of a young die-hard fan of India's ace batsman Virat Kohli who was arrested on treason charges for hoisting the Indian flag atop his home.

Johnson wants DRS to be scrapped- Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has entered into the Decision Review System debate, saying that he'd be happy with the controversial review system to be scrapped altogether.

Pakistan keen to appoint Viv Richards as mentor- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is holding negotiations with legendary West Indian batsman Sir Vivian Richards to appoint him as mentor of the national team for the forthcoming Asia Cup and ICC World T20 in Bangladesh and India.

Kaneria lashes out at PCB, ECB after Westfield is cleared to play- Pakistan's banned leg spinner Danish Kaneria has slammed the Pakistani and English cricket authorities after it was announced on Thursday that fast bowler Mervyn Westfield has been allowed to play lower-level cricket with one year of his spot-fixing ban remaining.

McCullum legacy much more than pyrotechnics- While the triple century against India and an away series win over West Indies were the highlights of his career, Brendon McCullum said it was the camaraderie of the dressing room that would linger longest in his memory.

DDCA shoots down Lodha panel recommendations- The Delhi and District Cricket Association on Wednesday refused to implement the Justice Lodha Committee's recommendations which could have direct ramifications on the functioning of BCCI's state units.

Mumbai make Ranji final despite hundreds by Ojha, Harpreet- Mumbai made it to their first Ranji Trophy final in three seasons even though they were denied an outright victory after fighting centuries from Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha and Harpreet Singh on Day5 of the semi-final in Cuttack, on Wednesday.

The predicament of being Ajinkya Rahane- With a "no-vacancy" sign plastered on India's top order and his utility in the middle questioned by his own captain, Ajinkya Rahane suddenly finds his consistency with the bat means very little.

The 3 mistakes of Virat Kohli's life- India's batting sensation Virat Kohli on Tuesday confessed he regrets crossing the line on a few occasions on the cricket field and hinted that that, in hindsight, he probably might have not done it.

I want to keep the batsmen guessing: Ashwin- Ravichandran Ashwin's career-best best spell (4-1-8-4) helped India bundle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 82 and secure a comprehensive win in the third and final T20 International in Visakhapatnam, thereby sealing a 2-1 series win.

India women thrash Sri Lanka in first ODI- Riding on half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur followed by Poonam Yadav's four-wicket haul, India women thrashed Sri Lanka by 107 runs in the first One-Day International of the three-match series.

Why Dhoni chose to duck questions on Lodha panel report- India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh subtly avoided commenting on the sweeping changes the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Commission has recommended on the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

'I would be lying if I say I have moved on from CSK'- Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels 'different' about captaining a new team in the Indian Premier League for the first time in eight years and says he has not moved on from his days at the now suspended Chennai Super Kings.

Gayle repeats infamous 'don't blush' comment- Chris Gayle has continued to poke fun at his controversial Big Bash League interview with TV reporter by repeating his infamous 'don't blush' line on former Australian player and pundit Tom Moody in the Pakistan Super League.

Smith and Co eye No 1 spot in Tests- Australia's aim of regaining the top ranking in Test cricket has taken a major step forward following Monday's comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the opener of their two-match series, according to captain Steve Smith.

Ashwin stars as India crush SL to win T20I series- Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weaved his magic with a career-best four-wicket haul as India thrashed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the deciding third and final Twenty20 International, to clinch the three-match series 2-1, in Visakhapatnam, on Sunday.

Veteran Voges thankful for second chance- Adam Voges' double-century was the second of his short international career. He has now scored 1,267 runs to average 97.46 since making his debut at the age of 35 in the Caribbean last year.

West Indies stun India to win maiden U-19 World Cup- Keacy Carty hit an unbeaten fifty to steer the West Indies to a thrilling five-wicket victory in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final, in Mirpur, on Sunday. Chasing India's paltry total of 145, the West Indies won with three balls to spare and claimed their maiden Under-19 World title.

Watson's injury clouds Australia's World T20 plans- Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has suffered a suspected abdominal strain while competing in a Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, throwing his participation in the World T20 in doubt.

Will Pakistan ever break World Cup jinx against India?- Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis is confident that his new-look team would be able to break the jinx of not winning against India in major ICC events when they lock horns in the upcoming World T20, which begins right after the Asia Cup T20.

'PSL can't produce players like Virat, Rohit right away'- Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has cautioned his countrymen not to expect the Pakistan Super League to immediately churn out players of the class of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, like the Indian Premier League has done for the game in the neighbouring country.

India eye series win in Vizag- Buoyed by an overwhelming victory in the previous game, a resilient India would look to continue the momentum and seal off their second successive T20 series win when they take on Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 International, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Didn't know about my hat-trick: Perera- Sri Lanka's medium pace bowler Thisara Perera said he did not realise that he had taken a hat-trick till his teammates informed him about it, as his entire concentration was on bowling in the death overs during the second T20 International against India in Ranchi on Friday.

ICC to review no-ball technology after Voges howler- The International Cricket Council is set to discuss the reviewing of no-balls with the controversial topic again rearing its head following Adam Voges' non-dismissal late on day one of the first Test in Wellington.

Voges breaks Sachin's record, puts Aus in command- Adam Voges continued to capitalise on an early reprieve by scoring his fifth test century as Australia eased to 463 for six by the close of the second day's play of the first match against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve on Saturday

Narine, Pollard pull out of World Twenty20- West Indies' hopes of winning the World Twenty20 for the second time in four years suffered a setback on Friday when off-spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Kieron Pollard pulled out of their squad.

India may be faves for T20, but watch out for the Windies!- 'Dhoni has got his own ways of captaining the Indian team. He might not give out details or might not explain, but in his mind he knows very well how to captain the side, which players to pick and the right combination for a particular condition.'

Why ex-servicemen are opposing India-Pak T20 match...- Himachal Pradesh's Ex-servicemen League has strongly opposed the hosting of Twenty20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at Dharamsala on March 19 and asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to reconsider its decision, keeping in view the sentiments of families of the martyrs.

Veteran Nehra loves to do the tough job for Team India!- Veteran Ashish Nehra has had a career plagued with injuries and now he has come to a stage where he doesn't leave anything to chance, so much so that he stays from the customary game of football during the Indian team's training sessions.

Cricketers may get red cards for bad behaviour- Cricketers might get red cards for bad behaviours in future as the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is trying a new red card system in some amatuer games to reduce excessive sledging and violent behaviour by players.

Steyn in South Africa squad for World T20- South Africa have named fast bowler Dale Steyn in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 in India next month, but will ask him to prove his fitness following a debilitating shoulder injury.

Will BCCI's SGM on Feb 19 accept Lodha panel recommendations?- The far-reaching effect on the implementation of the Lodha Committee's recommendations calling for sweeping reforms in the BCCI's structure and the subsequent scathing observation on the matter by the Supreme Court which has shaken the Board members, is set to dominate the Special General Meeting.

Tainted fast bowler Amir in Pakistan squad for WT20- Tainted fast bowler Mohammad Amir was named in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup even as seasoned opener Ahmed Shehzad and veteran bowler Umar Gul were shown the door.

Uncapped Liam Dawson in England's WT20 squad- England have named uncapped Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20, to be staged in India next month, but there was no dramatic recall for Kevin Pietersen.

'No country should feel insecure playing in India'- BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said "no country should feel insecure" about playing in India amid reports that Pakistan has proposed to play its matches in the upcoming World T20 at a neutral venue citing security concerns.

Former champions Windies could pull out of World T20- A contract row threatened West Indies' participation in the upcoming World T20 in India with the head of the region's cricket board saying the players will be thrown off the squad for the big-ticket event if they do not agree to the financial terms by Sunday's deadline.

World T20: DDCA notifies BCCI about provisional NOC, seeks Mudgal help- The DDCA on Tuesday notified the Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar and secretary Anurag Thakur about getting the provisional No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) which will enable them to organize the World T20 matches smoothly.

Azad's plea for CBI probe into DDCA dismissed- The Delhi high court, on Tuesday, dismissed as "premature" the plea of former Indian cricketers Kirti Azad, Bishan Singh Bedi and others seeking a court-monitored probe by CBI or SIT into the alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association.

Pakistan may pull out of World T20; says facing threat from 'extremists in India'- PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said there have been incidents in India in recent months which pointed to Pakistan-specific threats one of them was the ICC's decision to pull out Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar midway during South Africa's tour of India last year and also the cancellations between PCB and BCCI officials in Mumbai.

Why Dhoni doesn't want Raina to bat at Kohli's No. 3 slot- Unwilling to tinker with the line-up in view of next month's World Twenty20, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday said the team will prefer Suresh Raina in the No.4 slot in the series against Sri Lanka even though vice-captain Virat Kohli's absence has opened the No.3 position.

Having fit squad before World T20 crucial for India- India's One-day skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons the current Indian squad is very balanced' ahead of the three-match series against Sri Lanka and insisted that maintaining fitness will be a crucial factor for his side during next month's World Twenty20.

PCB takes up bilateral India series issue with ICC- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken up the issue of cancellation of bilateral series with India last December, as per an MOU signed between the two boards in 2014 to play six bilateral series, with the International Cricket Council.

Do you know how much BCCI commentators get paid?- The Board of Control for Cricket in India has paid former India captain Anil Kumble and batsman Sanjay Manjrekar approximate amounts of Rs 39 lakh and Rs 36 lakh respectively as their commentary fee for the home series against South Africa held between October to December.

Brendon McCullum scores 47 in ODI swansong- Brendon McCullum's final one-day international innings ended as spectacularly as it began when the New Zealand captain was dismissed for 47 in the series finale against Australia in Hamilton on Monday.

Mithali powers India to consolation win over Australia- Skipper Mithali Raj led from the front with an 89-run knock to save the Indian women's cricket team from a whitewash by guiding it to a comfortable five-wicket in the third and final ODI against Australia in Hobart on Sunday.

Mustafizur delighted to get IPL contract- Promising Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman said that he can't wait to play in the Indian Premier League after being bought for Rs 1.4 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the players' auction.

Tendulkar bats for safer Indian roads- Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday launched a road safety campaign saying that like batting in the middle, a partnership is needed between the vehicle drivers and pedestrians to make the dangerous Indian roads safer.

Dilshan ruled out of first T20I against India- Sri lanka's senior batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was on Saturday ruled out of the first Twenty20 international against India with a hand injury, with wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella named as his replacement.

IPL schedule is not related to Lodha Panel: Shukla- IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Saturday said that the scheduling of the league has not been related to Lodha Pnael recommendations about having a 15-day gap between start of the cash-rich league and India's national calender.

Unadkat steers Saurashtra to Ranji semi-finals- Left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat took four wickets in the second innings and took his match tally to nine for 116 as Saurashtra thrashed Vidarbha by an innings and 85 runs and booked a place in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time in three seasons, in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, on Friday.

Madhya Pradesh sight semi-final berth after Patidar's ton- Young Rajat Patidar showed character to register his third first-class century as Madhya Pradesh tightened their grip on Bengal by the end of the third day in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai, on Friday.

'The BCCI is not looking for an escape route'- The Board of Control for Cricket in India said on Friday it is "not looking for an escape route" but needs to time to implement the Lodha Committee's recommendations on reforms in cricket administration.

Australia women thump India in Hobart, seal ODI series- Smriti Mandhana's ton went in vain as Australia rode on half-centuries by Nicole Bolton (77) and skipper Meg Lanning (61) to register a comfortable six-wicket win over India in the second ODI and seal the three-match series 2-0 in Hobart.

Australia recall Khawaja for New Zealand series- In-form batsman Usman Khawaja has been selected to play his first one-day international in three years when Australia meet New Zealand in the second match of their series in Wellington on Saturday.

Herwardkar's all-round show powers Mumbai- After a cracking century, left-handed opener Akhil Herwadkar spun web around Jharkhand batsmen with his off-breaks as heavyweights Mumbai took a step closer towards qualifying for the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy on Thursday.

Syed Mohammad, pacers put Assam on top against Punjab- Wickets fell like a deck of cards as 16 batsmen perishing on the second day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final between Assam and Punbal, in Valsad, on Thursday. Starting the day on 223 for eight, overnight batsman Jamaluddin Syed Mohammad (121) added 71 runs to his overnight score and hit the bulk of the runs to take Assam to a respectable score of 323.

Pacers dominate at MP take big lead over Bengal- On a day dominated by pace bowlers from both sides, Madhya Pradesh held the upper hand over Bengal by taking a handsome first innings lead of 227 runs after skittling out the latter for a paltry 121 in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final, at the Brabourne Stadium, on Thursday.

Big 3 to lose clout? ICC Board calls for 'independent' chairman- The ICC Board, at its first meeting of 2016 in Dubai on Wednesday, considered amendments made to the ICC's constitution in 2014 and agreed that, in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest and follow best practice principles of good governance, it will seek to re-establish as quickly as possible the 'independent' position of ICC chairman.

U-19 World Cup: Will it be an India-Pak semi-final?- Undefeated India, England, Pakistan and host Bangladesh will start as favourites when the Super League quarter-finals of the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2016 are played from 5 to 8 February in Mirpur and Fatullah.

Great if me and Shikhar can match Sachin-Sourav pair: Rohit- The comparisons with the legendary pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are certainly flattering but Rohit Sharma feels his partnership with Shikhar hawan still has a long way to go before matching up to the iconic opening combination.

Bailey hits back at non-referral finger-pointing- Australia batsman George Bailey hit back at reports he was to blame for the non-referral howler that saw David Warner's wicket thrown away and hastened his team's slide to a record 159-run defeat against New Zealand at Eden Park.

Ranji: Kaul's four helps Punjab steal Day 1 honours- Punjab bowlers produced a disciplined performance with pacer Siddharth Kaul leading the way with a four-wicket haul as they restricted Assam to 233 for eight at stumps on the first day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, in Valsad, on Wednesday.

Why Manish Pandey is not taking Sydney ton for granted?- Manish Pandey believes a coming-of-age performance in Australia has provided a boost to his international career and he hopes to build on the exploits Down Under in the upcoming three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.

I bowled Sachin with a teesra: Saqlain- Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in the All Stars League held recently in the Unites States of America, revealed that he bowled the legendary batsman with a 'teesra' - a delivery he developed, while he was playing County Cricket in England.

REVEALED! Why Chanderpaul retired...- Stating that he was forced to retire from international cricket in order to get a NOC to play in the Masters Champions League, veteran West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has warned that such shabby treatment by selectors is a worrying sign for future cricketers.

India team for Asia Cup, World T20 to be picked on Friday- The Indian squads for the upcoming Asia Cup T20 tournament in Bangladesh and the subsequent International Cricket Council World Twenty20 championship in India are to be chosen on February 5 at Delhi by the national selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil.

'Yuvraj can just go and express himself batting at No. 5'- Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be satisfied with Yuvraj Singh's cameo in the third and final T20 against Australia in Sydney and expects that the veteran left-hander would only get better as he plays more and more matches in the lead upto the ICC World T20 starting in just over a month's time.

Started playing because of Sachin: Kohli- Virat Kohli is in the form of his life with several former players like Brett Lee comparing him to India's batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, but the hero of India's T20 triumph in Australia was full of praise for the master blaster.

Why Lara believes India will win World T20- West Indies batting legend Brian Lara considers hosts India the favourites in the World Twenty20 Championship but insists that the West Indians can also pose a threat if they select their best players for the March 8 to April 3 event.

4 reasons why PSL will be benificial- Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi believes that the first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be a great event in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Ranji cricketer DROPPED for black buck killing- The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has dropped all-rounder Rameez Khan from the Ranji trophy squad after he was arrested for allegedly killing a black buck in Sagar district in January.

Why did Younis Khan retire from ODIs?- Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has finally broken his silence on his decision to retire abruptly from one-day international last November during the series against England.

'Did not expect getting picked in a squad which has won a series'- It is difficult to expect that selectors would ring in changes when an Indian cricket team wins a series 3-0 on Australian soil which is precisely the reason why Pawan Negi is "pleasantly surprised" after knowing about his selection for the T20 series against Sri Lanka.

ICC T20 Rankings: Kohli rises to No 1- Virat Kohli was on Monday rewarded for his stupendous performance in India's clean sweep against Australia in the T20 internationals as he replaced Aaron Finch as the top-ranked batsman in the International Cricket Council list for the shortest format.

Bumrah is the find of the T20 series, says Dhoni- India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is highly impressed with young Gujarat pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has given the Australian batsmen hard time during the limited overs series in Australia that concluded in Sydney on Sunday.

For Kohli, hostility has now turned to mutual respect- 'They give you respect but they don't intrude in your private space. That's something that I adore about this country. It was tough early on when I came here. I have had confrontations but it has led to mutual respect'

'Dhoni, Kohli pep talk helped women's team excel in Australia'- Ecstatic with the women's cricket team's historic series triumph over Australia, men's fielding coach R Sridhar has sought to claim a bit of credit for it, saying that pep talks from him and the likes of M S Dhoni might have contributed to the aggressive approach that Mithali Raj and Co. displayed.

Series already clinched, Indian women lose to Aus in 3rd T20I- A historic series triumph already sealed, the Indian women's cricket team faltered in its quest for a clean-sweep as it went down by 15 runs to Australia in the third and final Twenty20 International following a spectacular batting collapse in Sydney on Sunday.

Clarke set to return to first class cricket, IPL on his radar- Former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke is set to return to first-class cricket six months after he announced international retirement and the lucrative India Premier League is on his radar, according to reports in the Australian media.

MCL: Yet another resounding victory for Gemini Arabians- Brad Hodge and Kumar Sangakkara added 105 runs for the unbroken third wicket stand as Gemini Arabians notched up their second successive victory in the Masters Champions League T20 tournament beating Leo Lions by eight wickets, in Dubai, on Saturday.

U 19 WC Roundup: Nepal enter first-ever quarters- Nepal rode on leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane's five-wicket haul, which included the first hat-trick in the tournament, to beat Ireland by eight wickets and book their maiden berth in the Super League quarter-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, in Fatullah, on Saturday.

Kotla stadium could lose World T20 matches- New Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla ground is in danger of losing its World Twenty20 fixtures after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) moved a match against Sri Lanka away from the venue due to administrative lapses.

De Villiers named South Africa's full-time Test skipper- AB de Villiers has been appointed as the South Africa's Test captain on a permanent basis after the national selectors unanimously decided to choose the swashbuckling batsman to lead the nation through a transitional phase.

Kohli explains fiery send-off- Star Indian batsman Virat Kohli, on Friday, explained what was behind his fiery 'send-off' of Steven Smith during the first T20 International earlier this week and said that it had nothing to do with the Australian wearing a microphone.

Why Shane Watson is a worried man...- Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, on Friday, rued the failure of his side to negotiate the Indian spinners when the ball was not turning much and attributed it as the reason of their 27-run loss in the second

Injured Finch to miss 3rd T20; Khawaja to replace him- Australia captain Aaron Finch will miss the third and final T20 International against India in Sydney on Sunday because of a left hamstring injury he suffered, on Friday, and he will be replaced in the squad by Usman Khawaja.

Dhoni lauds bowlers after T20 series win over Aus- Mahendra Singh Dhoni lavished praise on his bowlers after India beat Australia by 27 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the MCG on Friday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

'Kohli can bat at night without lights'- The sublime touch that he is in, Virat Kohli can bat even at midnight without switching on the lights and still score runs, Sunil Gavaskar said, on Friday, eulogising the young Indian batsman.

India seal T20 series after big win at MCG- India turned in a fine all-round show to beat Australia by 27 runs in the second Twenty20 International and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Friday.

Will DRS be used in this IPL?- A staunch and consistent opponent of the controversial Decision Review System, the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the first time ever could use the technology with some changes in this year's Indian Premier League.

Will noRanchi to host India-Sri Lanka T20 after DDCA says will not- Snubbed by the Delhi high court, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association on Friday officially intimated the Board of Control for Cricket in India that it will not be able to host the second India-Sri Lanka Twenty20 International on February 12. The BCCI named Ranchi as the new venue for the match.

SC stays criminal proceedings against MS Dhoni- In a major relief for Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the criminal proceedings against him in his case of allegedly 'denigrating' a Hindu god by posing as Lord Vishnu on the cover page of a magazine.

Graham Ford returns as Sri Lanka coach- South African Graham Ford will take over as the chief coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team for his second stint replacing Marvan Atapattu, who had stepped down five months back.

Sangakkara powers Gemini Arabians to win in MCL opener- Riding on a superb all-round show, Gemini Arabians registered a massive 78-run win over Libra Legends in the opening match of the Masters Champions League Twenty20 tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Umpires to be issued helmets for World T20- The International Cricket Council will issue all umpires with helmets in the upcoming World T20 tournament in India as part of a growing trend towards the increased safety of officials in the sport.

Mascarenhas to step down as NZ bowling coach- Dimitri Mascarenhas will step down as New Zealand bowling coach at the conclusion of next month's series against Australia to spend more time with his family, the team said on Friday.

Why Smith is miffed with Kohli...- Hitting back at Virat Kohli for a send-off following his dismissal during the first Twenty20, Australia batsman Steven Smith said the chatter-box gesture by 'emotional' Indian was not required at all.

Spidercam to be used in World T20 despite recent glitches- The controversial spidercam, which has been criticised by India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be used during the upcoming World Twenty20 Championship but it won't disturb play, International Cricket Council's Chief Executive Dave Richardson said.

Why Australia have struggled in T20 Internationals- Arguably the most successful cricketing nation as far as Tests and One-Day Internationals are concerned, Australia have struggled in Twenty20 and all-rounder Shane Watson feels it is because the shortest format only has 'entertainment value'.

India look for T20 series-clinching win in Melbourne- High on confidence after winning the first Twenty20 International, India will look to press home the advantage and seal off the three-match series when they take on Australia in the second T20 in Melbourne.

Ashwin dares Australia's batsmen to attack him- India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he is not intimidated by the Australian batsmen's strategy of attacking him as he has the ability to handle the onslaught and pick wickets as well.

BCCI gives DDCA January 28 deadline- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to give a day's extension to the beleaguered Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), whose officials are set to meet LG Najeeb Jung and urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu regarding the requisite permissions for T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla on February 12.

U-19 World Cup: India start campaign against Ireland- A formidable India U-19 team coached by the legendary Rahul Dravid start as overwhelming favourites against minnows Ireland in their opening Group D league match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Mirpur on Thursday.

Ganguly to miss Master Cricket League?- Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly will miss the inaugural edition of the Master Cricket League after sustaining a back injury during a practice session.

Parthiv's ton in vain as India A beat Gujarat- Kedar Jadhav's stroke-filled 91 was the cornerstone of a collective batting performance by India A as they comfortably beat Vijay Hazare Trophy champions Gujarat by six wickets to enter the final of the Deodhar Trophy one day cricket tournament on Wednesday in Kanpur.

Ashwin remains No.1 all-rounder in Tests- India's Ravichandran Ashwin continued to hold on to the top spot in the all-rounders' table and also retained his second position in the bowling list in the latest ICC Test rankings.

How Warner wants Aussie batsmen to tackle India's spinners- Holding the team's batting failure responsible for the 37-run defeat to India in the first Twenty20 International, Australian batsman David Warner on Wednesday said the hosts need to bat smartly against the Indian spinners and take full advantage of the big stadiums Down Under.

Chanderpaul should have received proper send-off: Lara- Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has described Shivnarine Chanderpaul as 'one of the giants of the Caribbean cricket' and expressed that the recently retired batsman should have been given a 'proper send-off' in international cricket.

DDCA to move court for Sri Lanka T20- The Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has decided to move court to get requisite compliance certificates which are mandatory for hosting the T20 International against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla on February 12.

Dhoni relieved and impressed by team effort- Debutant Hardik Pandya stellar performance in Tuesday's T20 International against Australia caught the attention of India supporters, and India's ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the youngster can lend the side some much-needed stability if he performs consistently.

Kohli's unbeaten 90 propels India to victory in 1st T20I- Virat Kohli slammed an unbeaten 90 before a collective effort by the Indian bowlers gave the visitors a resounding start in the Twenty20 series against Australia with a 37-run victory in the first match in Adelaide, on Tuesday.

Red-hot Rabada sinks England in fourth Test- Mercurial paceman Kagiso Rabada produced the second best match figures by a South African to propel his side to a consolation 280-run victory over a feeble England on the last morning of the fourth and final Test.

DDCA on a sticky wicket again over India vs SL T20 match- Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur shot off an e-mail to the faction-ridden Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) enquiring whether they can host the second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka scheduled to be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi, on February 12.

Bumrah's ODI debut -- an instance of serendipity- In a series in which, batsmen have dominated the bowlers with an unprecedented 3159 runs being scored, including 11 centuries hit by batters of both sides in the five one-day internationals.

'I have that control with the ball now'- Irfan Pathan discloses on how he coped with the disappointment of getting dropped from the Indian team and what inspired his superb comeback in domestic cricket this season which he hopes lead to bigger things and eventually into a 'a really good story and inspiration' for others.

Unmukt powers India B to victory in Deodhar Trophy- Skipper Unmukt Chand anchored the chase to perfection with an unbeaten 77 to guide India B to a five-wicket victory against India A in the opening match of the Deodhar Trophy one-day cricket tournament at Kanpur on Monday.

Recalled seniors' spot in playing XI not assured, says Shastri- India's Team Director Ravi Shastri has said that while "experience cannot be bought in super market" the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra will play only if they fit into the combination that the team is looking for, going into ICC World Twenty20.

How Australia plan to stop Raina and Yuvraj in T20s- Upbeat after convincingly winning the One-Day International series 4-0, Australia's Twenty20 captain Aaron Finch is confident that the hosts can handle the more experienced Indian reinforcements in Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who have joined the visitors for the three-match rubber starting in Adelaide, on Tuesday.

India eye revival, redemption in T20 series against Australia- Outplayed in the ODIs, a faltering India will look to get the balance right as they eye redemption in a three-match Twenty20 series against Australia starting in Adelaide on Tuesday which also kicks off their build-up for the World T20 Championships in March-April.

Ravi Shastri, Indian Cricket's Mr Indispensable- 'In the merry-go-round of Indian cricket, amid abhorrent match-fixing scandals and incessant politicking, Ravi Shastri is a multifaceted personality who, when called upon, can don any hat with ease.'

'T20s are more important than ODIs'- India might have been thoroughly outplayed in the ODI series in Australia, but former Australia batsman Dean Jones said the visitors will do much better in the three T20 Internationals as they have a balanced side, which was missing in the One-dayers.

Rohit Sharma analyses the ODI series in Australia- Rohit Sharma is delighted to win theMan of the Series award for his whopping 441 runs in the just-concluded One-day International series against Australia but the stylish right-hander rued the fact that his team 'could not capture crucial moments', which led to their 1-4 defeat.

Dhoni has reached his use-by-date: Chappell- Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni is overstaying his time as India's limited over skipper and it is having debilitating effect on the Indian team.

Injured Maxwell to miss T20 opener vs India- Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of the first Twenty20 International against India in Adelaide on Tuesday after sustaining a hamstring injury which forced him to fly back home to Melbourne.

Dhoni, Smith think Spidercam not too friendly an interference- Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows the introduction of broadcast technology has enhanced the viewing experience for fans but the Indian skipper has called for restraint after the overhead 'Spidercam' interfered with play in Saturday's one-dayer against Australia.

How Pandey capitalised on Rahane's injury- Magnificient Manish Pandey struck his maiden One-day century to secure India a pride-salvaging six-wicket victory against Australia in the fifth and final ODI in Sydney on Saturday.

Why former Pakistan greats look worrisome... - Former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar have expressed dismay over the national team's meek surrender in the Twenty20 series in New Zealand and said the crisis before the ICC World T20 in India was 'worrisome'.

Australia's Lehmann to miss T20 series against India- Australian cricket coach Darren Lehmann will not be with the team during its three-match Twenty20 series against India after he was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) for the second time in his life on Saturday.

T20 top spot up for grabs!- India can seek motivation from the fact that they can claim the top spot in the ICC Twenty20 International rankings if they make a clean sweep in the three-match series that begins on January 26.

Fixing: Did ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit shield McCullum?- The head of International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit has categorically rejected suggestions it struck a deal to protect New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum from punishment for not reporting an alleged match-fixing approach in 2008.

Chanderpaul retires from international cricket- West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has officially retired from international cricket, seven months after selectors opted to discard the veteran and push for a youth-oriented policy.

Amla and Cook lead South Africa to 329-5- Stephen Cook became the 100th batsman to score a debut test century and his innings of 115 helped South Africa amass 329 for five on the first day of the final test against England on Friday in their bid to salvage pride in a lost series.

Are Indian batsmen 'milestone driven'?- Australia batsman Glenn Maxwell claimed Indian batsmen, including Virat Kohli, who has scored two centuries in the series so far, are 'milestone-driven'. Do you agree?

Should Kohli lead India in all three formats? Pras says so!- Spin great Erapalli Prasanna says the time has come for Virat Kohli to lead India in all three cricket formats, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is captaining the One-Day International and Twenty20 squads, can continue playing as wicketkeeper-batsman in the limited-overs' formats.

'We just have to be smarter about chasing down totals'- Unfazed despite four successive defeats, a defiant Virat Kohli insisted that the Indian cricket team is "not mentally bogged down" and would like to win the next four matches, including Saturday's fifth and final One-day international against Australia.

Could Sydney ODI be Dhoni's final 50-overs match?- Battered and bruised after four successive defeats, India will make a last-gasp effort to avoid the embarrassment of being whitewashed by an unrelenting Australia when the two sides clash in the fifth and final One-Day International in Sydney, on Saturday.

Dominant Australia eye ODI whitewash against India- India have not beaten Australia in any format since 2013. The tourists looked like ending that barren run when they were on 277 for one, chasing 349 for victory, only to lose their last nine wickets for 46 runs in Canberra.

Hastings enjoying 'responsibility' after good shows- Pacer John Hastings has provided fill-up to Australia's ambitions of notching up a 5-0 whitewash in the ODI series against India, saying he is thriving on the extra responsibility following a few impressive performances.

Dravid, Smith & Atherton excited about U-19 World Cup- Cricket greats Rahul Dravid, Michael Atherton and Graeme Smith are looking forward to the ICC U-19 World Cup, saying the tournament gives the young players the chance to test themselves against the best in their age group.

Injured Maxwell doubtful for fifth ODI against India- Australia's Glenn Maxwell is a doubtful starter for the fifth and final One-Day International against India to be played in Sydney on Saturday after the middle-order batsman injured his knee while batting in the fourth ODI.

Raina powers UP to maiden Mushtaq Ali T20 title- Uttar Pradesh clinched their maiden Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a thumping 38-run win over two-time champions Baroda in the final under flood-lights at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

De Kock back behind the wicket for South Africa- Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock will return for South Africa in the last Test against England after recovering from a knee strain suffered while walking his dogs, Cricket South Africa said on Wednesday.

'Dhoni's wicket was the turning point'- Australian pacer Kane Richardson, who grabbed a five-for felt that the dismissal of Mahendra Singh Dhoni proved to be a turning point as the home team recorded a 25-run win against India.

Gavaskar calls for 'harsh steps' following Canberra defeat- Former captain Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday called for harsh steps in the setup of the struggling Indian cricket team in Australia, saying some of the players have not learnt from their past mistakes despite making the trip Down Under multiple times.

Dhoni takes responsibility for failed chase in Canberra- Taking full responsibility for the inexplicable collapse against Australia in the fourth ODI, in Canberra, on Wednesday, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he should have steered the team home after fluent centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli.

Richardson lauds Manohar's stance on conflict of interest- Lauding Shashank Manohar for his stand against conflict of interest, International Cricket Council CEO Dave Richardson today said the ICC Chairman, who also heads the BCCI, is a principled man and is trying to reform the governance structure in both the bodies.

T20 has changed cricket big time: Tendulkar- At an event to announce ICC's partnership with MRF Tyres ahead of the World Twenty20 Championships in India between March and April, Tendulkar spoke about how the format has revolutionised the game.

Kohli has same aura as Tendulkar: Lee- Australian pace legend Brett Lee on Wednesday heaped accolades on Virat Kohli, describing the swashbuckling Indian batsman as a legend whose aura is comparable to the iconic Sachin Tendulkar.

Australia eye No. 1 Test ranking against New Zealand- New Zealand strike bowler Tim Southee will miss the upcoming One-Day International series against Australia but Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson is optimistic the seamer would recover from a foot injury in time for the subsequent Test series.

'South Africa will play hard to salvage pride'- South Africa are fired up to perform in the dead-rubber fourth Test against England and will 'play hard' as they try to salvage battered pride, young Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada said on Tuesday.

Gayle slams critics as he leaves Big Bash!- A fuming Chris Gayle blasted current and former cricketers for not standing by him when he was roundly criticised for flirting with a television presenter during an interview at the Big Bash League.

Court recalls non-bailable warrant against Dhoni- The non-bailable warrant issued against India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case of hurting religious sentiments was withdrawn by a local court in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Chandila will not challenge life ban in court- Ajit Chandila says he will appeal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to reconsider its decision to ban him for life but will not take any legal recourse to get it revoked.

Australia off-spinner Hauritz announces retirement- Australia off-spinner Nathan Hauritz announced his retirement from competitive cricket on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a 15-year career during which he represented the national side in all three formats.

'Tait can do damage on Indian pitches in World T20'- Backing Shaun Tait's surprise return to the Australian T20 squad for the three-match series against India, former pacer Jason Gillespie said the tearaway speedster will cause a lot of damage on Indian tracks if he makes the squad for the World T20 starting March 8.

BCCI to discuss 'conditional use' of DRS with team- With the contentious Decision Review System in focus again following some umpiring howlers in the ongoing ODI series between India and Australia, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said "we can deliberate" on its conditional use once the team is back.

Kohli's 'smashed you enough' retort leaves Faulkner stumped- James Faulkner's attempt to engage India's Virat Kohli in a war of words during the third ODI in Melbourne backfired on the Australian paceman as the star batsman emphatically told him to just keep bowling as "I have smashed you enough in my life".

Uncapped Bumrah to replace injured Shami in T20 squad- Gujarat medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah was named as India's replacement for the injured Mohammad Shami in the Twenty20 series against Australia starting January 26, the Board of Control for Cricket in India wrote in a statement on Monday.

'Team India will get full-time coach after the World T20'- BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said the Indian cricket team will have a full-time coach after the World T20 and the high-profile advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly will have a say in the appointment.

Ajit Chandila banned for life, Hiken Shah for 5 years- Ajit Chandila has been handed a life ban, while Hiken Shah has been banned for five years for their role in match-fixing during the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Monday.

Looking forward to challenge Indian batsmen: Lyon- Back in the Australian ODI fold after more than a year, off-spinner Nathan Lyon says he cannot wait to challenge the Indian batsmen in the fourth one-dayer in Canberra, a venue he knows inside out after being a part of Manuka Oval's ground staff.

T20 call up a pleasant surprise: Watson- Conceding that the T20 call up against India came as a 'pleasant surprise', Australian all-rounder Shane Watson on Monday said his familiarity with Indian cricket through IPL helped him in reviving his faltering international career.

Dhoni at his sarcastic best!- Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Sunday, made light of the criticism he is facing in the wake of continuing poor results by saying that a review of his leadership can be done only through PIL.

2 reasons why Ashwin was dropped...- India made two changes for this must-win game, with Gurkeerat Mann and Rishi Dhawan handed debuts on account of their all-round capabilities. Ravichandran Ashwin and Manish Pandey made way for them in the playing eleven.

After series loss, check out Dhoni's TOP excuses...- Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Sunday, hit out at his fielders for conceding easy boundaries at crucial junctures as Australia took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series with a three-wicket win in Melbourne.

Kohli ton in vain as Australia claim ODI series 3-0- Glen Maxwell and James Faulkner stitched up a 80-run partnership (off 63 balls) to help Australia beat India by three wickets in the 3rd ODI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday and clinch the series 3-0.

ICC Test Rankings: Broad soars to the top; Ashwin slips- Indian off-spinner R Ashwin on Sunday lost his top position in the International Cricket Council Test rankings, displaced by England pacer Stuart Broad, even as Ajinkya Rahane remained the country's top-ranked batsman at joint 10th in the latest list.

Dethroned South Africa seek remedy for batting woes- Unceremoniously dethroned as the world's top-ranked Test team, an embarrassed South Africa are in a race against time to find answers to their steady decline before they begin the final Test against England on Friday.

How Broad demolished South Africa- Stuart Broad started the third Test against South Africa feeling unwell but finished it on an incredible high after grabbing six wickets to spur England to a series victory on Saturday.

Dhoni may make India chase in third one-dayer- Back-to-back one-day defeats in Perth and Brisbane have forced India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to rethink his strategy of opting to bat first against Australia, who have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match series by chasing down 300-plus targets.

Another major reprieve for Cairns, Modi drops civil lawsuit- Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has decided to drop a USD 3.3 million civil law suit against Chris Cairns in the match-fixing scandal, a major reprieve for the New Zealand all-rounder who was recently cleared of any wrongdoing in a perjury trial.

3rd Test PHOTOS: Root century fuels England fightback- Joe Root scored an unbeaten 106 and shared a swashbuckling partnership with Ben Stokes as England put the brakes on a hostile South African attack to reach 238 for five at the close of the second day of the third Test on Friday.

Hazlewood rested for India series, Hastings retained- Australia has rested pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood for the remainder of the home international season which includes the remaining three ODIs of the five match series and the following three T20 internationals.

'India's pride and world's envy is struggling a bit now'- Not quite impressed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting in the ongoing ODI series against Australia, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said the wicketkeeper-batsman is "struggling but shouldn't be singled out" for criticism just yet.

Finch praises Aus bowlers after another easy win over India- Australia may have made batting look easy while chasing 300-plus totals against India successfully twice, but opener Aaron Finch credited the team's inexperienced bowlers for it, pointing out that the current attack combined has played less ODIs than the now retired Mitchell Johnson.

Looking at our bowlers, we need to score 330 or more: Dhoni- Frustrated by the performance of his bowlers in the second One-Day International against Australia in Brisbane on Friday, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni declared that given the attack at his disposal right now even 300-plus scores are not enough against the home side.

How IPL stint with Ponting, Tendulkar shaped Pandya's career- Hard-hitting Baroda all-rounder Hardik Pandya said his selection to the Indian team for the T20 series boosted his confidence and is hoping to carry his good form in domestic cricket into the upcoming three-match Twenty20 series in Australia.

Gabba scoreboard gives Clarke a 'come back'- Fans trouping in for the second India-Australia cricket one-dayer in Brisbabe on Friday were in for a surprise when retired former captain Michael Clarke's name showed up at the top of the home team's line-up on the Gabba's giant scoreboard.

'Let's play ODI cricket with pink ball'- Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar says pink ball should be used in One-day cricket to make it more competitive since white ball leaves nothing for the bowlers.

Parthiv Patel eyes re-entry into Indian team- Bidding to lead Gujarat to their second successive domestic T20 title, wicket keeper batsman Parthiv Patel has not lost focus on a re-entry into the national team, but without putting pressure on himself.

3rd Test PHOTOS: England peg SA back on opening day- Ben Stokes claimed a wicket for England in the first session of the third cricket test at the Wanderers on Thursday, but South Africa dealt with the early swing from the bowlers and advanced to 73 for one at lunch.

India look to bounce back with improved bowling effort- tung by the defeat in the series opener despite putting up a big score, India will have to plug their bowling loopholes when they take on Australia in the second One-Day International on Friday, fully aware that any slip-up will make their task of bouncing back difficult.

Border, Haddin question Marsh rest- Australia great Allan Bordrer was baffled by Cricket Australia's decision to rest all-rounder Mitchell Marsh from the squad for the second one-day international against India here.

We need to learn to take wickets in middle overs: Rohit- Rohit Sharma's brilliant hundred was certainly one of the positives in India's five wicket defeat in the first ODI against Australia but one of the worrying factor according to the in-form opener is not picking up wickets in the middle overs.

Dear ICC, please protect Tests- Test cricket must adapt to survive in the face of the ever-tightening squeeze from shorter, more lucrative, forms of the game, both England and South Africa's captains said on Wednesday.

AB de Villiers considering retirement?- New South African captain AB de Villiers said he is still motivated to perform in all forms of international cricket and hopes the responsibility of being appointed South Africa Test captain will improve his performances. But confirmed there was 'a bit of truth' in rumours he was considering retirement.

For optimistic Nehra 'age is just a number'- The left-arm pacer, who was sidelined for five years, will make a return to the India squad for the Twenty20s against Australia. He also urges BCCI to nurture and look after bright fast bowling prospects

We did not want to risk Ishant's finger injury: Dhoni- After Mohammed Shami's hamstring injury that ruled him out of the limited overs series, India's most experienced fast bowler Ishant Sharma got an injury scare having sustained a blow on his finger, which was the reason team management did not risk playing him in the first ODI.

Khwaja in, Warner goes on paternity leave- Top-order batsman Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the Australia squad for the ongoing ODI series against India in place of opener David Warner whose wife is expecting the couple's second child.

Ganguly to captain Libra Legends in MCL- Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was on Tuesday named captain and ambassador of Libra Legends in the upcoming Masters Champions League to be played in Dubai and Sharjah from January 28 to February 13.

Never thought spinners will have a bad day: Dhoni- India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he never thought his spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will have such a 'bad day' but also praised Australian skipper Steve Smith and George Bailey for playing exceptionally well in the middle overs.

Now, Gayle under fire for Big Bash no-run!- The West Indies batting ace, who made headlines after attempting to flirt with Network Ten reporter Mel McLaughlin during a live interview, was savaged by commentators for refusing to take what appeared to be an easy single for his Melbourne Renegades team against Sydney Thunder late Monday.

When a fan paid for Afridi's meal...- Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi was saved of much embarrassment when a fan stepped in to pay for his meal at a fast food joint in Auckland, after the flamboyant cricketer realised that he was not carrying local currency.

Croft jumps to England's rescue- England will draft in former international off-spinner Robert Croft to assist their slow bowlers during the five-match One-Day International series in South Africa starting on February 3.

This is the most bizarre run out ever!- Somebody needs to tell Adam Zampa that cricket is not a contact sport as the Melbourne Stars bowler was lucky not to lose a few teeth during Saturday's Big Bash clash against Melbourne Renegades.

India must win one match against Australia to retain 2nd spot- India will need to win at least a game in the upcoming one-dayer series against Australia to retain their current second position in the ICC ODI Team Championships, even as second-placed Virat Kohli looks to close in on AB de Villiers in the batting chart.

Butt, Asif beg for second chance after domestic return- Pakistan cricket's tainted duo Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif started their journey on the road to redemption with both the convicted spot-fixers making a successful return to competitive cricket during the National One-Day Competition, in Hyderabad (Sind).

Beating Australia is a big deal for India: Bailey- Australia batsman George Bailey says his team is looking forward to renew a "fierce" rivalry with India in the upcoming five-match ODI series and feels it will be a big deal for the visitors to beat them in their backyard.

'India will make it a tougher contest of white-ball cricket'- Not impressed by Australia's dominance in the summer of 2015 with Test wins against New Zealand and a lackluster West Indies, former pacer Geoff Lawson believes that India will make "tougher opponents" in the upcoming ODI series starting January 12.

Auckland T20: Record breakers Guptill, Munro lead NZ sweep- Colin Munro blasted New Zealand's fastest Twenty20 half century to surpass a mark set by Martin Guptill earlier in the innings as the hosts swept their two-match series against Sri Lanka with a nine-wicket win in Auckland on Sunday.

ODI warm-up: Rohit, Pandey star in India's win at WACA- Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey sparkled with half-centuries but rest of India's batsmen put up a lackluster performance before the bowlers came good to hand the team a 64-run win over a second string Western Australia XI in the warm-up one-day cricket match at the WACA, in Perth, on Saturday.

Australia's pacers hoping to use 'bounce' to counter India in Perth ODI- More excited than nervous at the prospect of squaring off against the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Australia's uncapped pacer Joel Paris on Saturday said his team's bowlers only need to focus on accuracy to tame India's 'world-class' batters in the One-Day International series starting on January 12.

Ganguly hits out at detractors in Cricket Association of Bengal- Cricket Association on Bengal president Sourav Ganguly's differences with some of the other office-bearers came out in the open when the former India captain spoke how misinformation was being spread by a section about Eden Gardens' branding coming under the ambit of ambush marketing.

WI management knew of Gayle's 'bare act' last year: report- Even as Chris Gayle filed a defamation case against a media house for allegations that he indecently exposed himself to a lady last year, an email has emerged hinting the West Indies team management knew of misbehaviour by players towards a woman during the 2015 World Cup here.

'Sran looks a good prospect for India'- Opener Shikhar Dhawan was all praise for rookie pacer Barinder Sran after his impressive showing in India's easy victory in the opening T20 warm-up game against Western Australia on Friday, saying the left-arm speedster looks a "good prospect for India".

Sran impresses as India open Aus tour with easy warm-up win- India started their limited-overs tour of Australia on a positive note, comprehensively beating a second-string Western Australia XI by 74 runs in a Twenty20 warm-up game on Friday with Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan striking fluent half-centuries.

Court order against Dhoni erroneous, claims lawyer- Mahendra Singh Dhoni hasn't received any summons from a local court in Andhra Pradesh that he has been accused of ignoring, his lawyer Rajneesh Chopra said on Friday, insisting that the non-bailable warrant issued against India's cricket team captain is "erroneous".

Gayle's behaviour fairly expected: Watson- Veteran Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has said he was not surprised by Chris Gayle's behaviour, adding that the controversial remarks made by the Jamaican during an interview with a female presenter were 'fairly expected'.

'Bavuma's ton opened door for black cricketers'- Former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini has lavished praise on Temba Bavuma after he became the first black African batsman to score a century for his side, saying that he has opened the door for rest of black batsmen.

BCCI asks state associations to discuss Lodha panel report- Rattled by the recommended sweeping reforms to its structure by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee, the Cricket Board has advised its affiliated state units to convene a meeting of its managing committee before this month end to discuss its implications.

India to play two warm-up matches at Perth- The Indian cricket team would get into the groove for the short limited-overs series against Australia with a couple of warm-up games against a Western Australia XI at the WACA ground on Friday and Saturday.

Warner adds spark to SCG draw- Australia's David Warner breathed life into the rain-ruined final Test with a pulsating ton as the match meandered to a draw against the West Indies on Thursday.

Lodha Report: BCCI may have to tweak IPL schedule- If the Supreme Court makes Justice RM Lodha committee's recommendations on BCCI reforms final and binding, the parent cricket body might have to alter the date of the ninth edition of Indian Premier League, scheduled to start on April 9, this year.

South Africa's Amla steps down from Test captaincy- Hashim Amla said on Wednesday he was stepping aside as South Africa's cricket Test captain with immediate effect, a day after a double century rescued his country from possible defeat in the second Test against England.

When Afridi abandoned press conference in a huff!- A miffed Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi abandoned a press conference midway in Lahore on Wednesday after he had a verbal spat with a reporter leading to a partial protest by the media demanding an apology from the flamboyant all-rounder.

Aamir's attitude and behaviour will be monitored: PCB- His career handed a fresh lease of life, tainted Pakistan pacer Muhammad Aamir's attitude and behaviour would be as much under scrutiny as his on-field performances when he makes an international comeback, the PCB has asserted.

BCCI Awards: Big honours for Kohli, veteran 'keeper Kirmani- Former stumper Syed Kirmani was bestowed with the prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian cricket, while Test captain Virat Kohli bagged the Polly Umrigar Trophy for Cricketer of the Year in the BCCI awards night in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Davis Cup at Wankhede or hockey matches at Eden Gardens?- If the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decides to follow the recommendations on reforms suggested by the Justice RM Lodha committee, one could soon find stadiums in Pune, Nagpur, and Rajkot hosting Indian hockey team's 'Test' matches or tennis team's Davis Cup games.

Can MIT make DRS foolproof?- In an effort to bring all Test nations on board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has sought the services of a leading technology institute -- the MIT -- to 'achieve' a uniform Decision Review System (DRS), an innovation which India has been opposing for long.

BCCI mulls Day-Night cricket in Duleep Trophy- Taking a cue from the success of the first Day-Night Test in Adelaide last year, the Tour and Program Fixtures Committee has recommended to the BCCI Technical panel to consider organising the Duleep Trophy matches with pink ball.

Australia to pursue day-night Ashes Test- Cricket Australia wants to establish the tradition of hosting a day-night Test every year, including during the Ashes series against England in 2017-18, chief executive James Sutherland said on Tuesday.

Lodha panel suggests bar on ministers in BCCI, legalising betting- The Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee on Monday recommended sweeping reforms for the controversy-ridden Board of Control for Cricket in India, suggesting a bar on ministers from occupying positions, putting a cap on the age and tenure of the office-bearers and legalising betting.

The Lodha report in a nutshell- The Justice RM Lodha Committee on Monday submitted its report suggesting reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to the Supreme Court.

'There's no doubt Dhoni will be available till 2019 World Cup'- The Indian T20 squad is an indication that selectors are looking at a specific short-term goal of winning the World T20 in March while the ODI squad is an indicator towards the core of the 2019 World Cup and Mahendra Singh Dhoni being a part of that side.

Waqar not expecting immediate Amir impact- Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has admitted that he is impressed by Mohammad Amir in training but expressed that he doesn't expect the tainted fast bowler, who has been named in the national squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour, to make an immediate impact.

Ashwin does not have to do anything different: Raju- Praising Ravichandran Ashwin for becoming the No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings, former spinner Venkatapathi Raju says his wicket-taking ability is amazing and he does not have to do anything different to remain a match-winner.

Find out who is the highest-paid cricketer in IPL...- India Test skipper Virat Kohli was among the few cricketers who received a higher actual salary according to the salary details of the retained Indian Premier League players listed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday.

Graeme Smith comes to rescue of South Africa- South Africa are still reeling after the first Test setback against England and have drafted in former captain Graeme Smith to assist the side with ideas and their psychological approach.

Rabada to replace injured Steyn for South Africa- South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn will miss the second Test against England, which starts at Newlands on Saturday, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, captain Hashim Amla said.

Ashwin ends 2015 as No 1 Test bowler and all-rounder- Riding on his stupendous performance in the series against South Africa, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on Thursday, rose to a career-high first in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings for bowlers.

Will it be a happier new year for South Africa?- South Africa will hope the new year brings about a change in luck as they seek to put behind them a disappointing 2015 and get back to winning ways against England in the second Test at Newlands starting on Saturday.

Sri Lanka stay alive in NZ series- Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his 47th one-day half century to anchor a much-improved Sri Lanka to a morale-boosting eight-wicket victory on Thursday that kept their one-day series against New Zealand alive.

Durban Test: England beat South Africa by 241 runs- Moeen Ali took three wickets on Wednesday as England made quick work of securing victory in the first Test by bundling out South Africa for 174 before lunch and ensure a 241-run victory on the last day at Kingsmead.

How Axar plans to spin out batsmen on the Australia tour- In-form Axar Patel believes he is fully ready for his second tour of Australia and is not losing sleep over the close competition between him and Ravindra Jadeja for the number one left-arm spinner's role in the five One-Day Internationals Down Under.

Steyn to have scan on shoulder injury- South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn will have a scan on a shoulder injury after he twice pulled up in the middle of an over and left the field on the third day of the opening Test against England on Monday.

Carlos Brathwaite a new star in the making?- A thick gloom that has pervaded the West Indies lifted briefly on Monday as paceman Carlos Brathwaite struck a defiant half-century on debut and celebrated wildly upon taking his first wicket during the second Test against Australia.

Windies' 'laid back' approach not what it seems- While the Carribs have been panned even by coach Phil Simmons for 'poor body language', former West Indies captain Richie Richardson reckons that the Windies Cricket Board needs to be united in order to improve the scenario.

Guptill misses ODI record as Kiwis thrash sorry Sri Lanka- Martin Guptill flirted with a world record then had to settle for a New Zealand one as he demolished Sri Lanka's bowling to guide his side to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory in the second One-Day International in Christchurch on Monday.

'Good news soon' for Indo-Pak cricket series?- PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has again raised hopes of an Indo-Pak bilateral series saying in the aftermath of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit there could be 'good news soon', evoking sharp criticism in Karachi for continuing to pursue the issue.

Vijay Hazare: Axar's six guides Gujarat into final; Delhi down HP- Left-arm spinner Axar Patel on Saturday wreaked havoc recording a career-best List A figures of six for 43 as Gujarat beat Tamil Nadu by 31 runs to set up a title clash with Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-Day tournament.

2015 Rewind: Kohli leads new dawn of Indian cricket- Indian cricket's fortunes ebbed and flowed in 2015 with Virat Kohli successfully leading the national side in Tests and Mahendra Singh Dhoni appearing to be losing his midas touch, while in off the field drama Shashank Manohar returned as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Burns, Khawaja pummel Windies on Boxing Day- Having recovered from a hamstring strain, Usman Khawaja celebrated his recall with a glittering 144, with Queensland team mate Joe Burns making 128 in front of a festive Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd to drive Australia to 345-3 at stumps.

Run machine Guptill guides Kiwis past Sri Lanka in first ODI- Martin Guptill became the highest run scorer in One-Day International cricket this year as he guided New Zealand to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first game of their five match series in Christchurch, on Saturday.

DDCA mulls disciplinary action against Azad, Bedi for targeting Jaitley- The executive committee of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is mulluing various disciplinary measures, including issuing show cause notice to former India cricketers Kirti Azad and Bishan Singh Bedi, for making corruption allegations against its former president Arun Jaitley.

Pakistan players leave camp after tainted Amir's presence- One-Day International captain Azhar Ali and opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez reported for the national conditioning camp in Lahore in the morning session but did not return back for the second session, protesting against the presence of tainted left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamir.

Hazare Trophy: Gujarat, TN meet in semis after close wins- Skipper Parthiv Patel struck an exemplary fifty, while Axar Patel chipped in with an unbeaten 36, after picking two crucial wickets, as Gujarat edged out Vidarbha by two wickets and advanced to the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-day tournament, in Alur, Karnataka, on Thursday.

IPL fixing: Chandila, Shah to learn fate next month- The Board of Control for Cricket in India's disciplinary committee deferred a decision on the tainted duo of Ajit Chandila and Hiken Shah till January 5, giving them time till January 4 to file a written response to the charges of spot-fixing against them.

Look who is supporting the out of favour Kirti Azad... - Clean Sports (CSI), a movement for corruption-free sports, on Thursday offered its support to cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad who has been suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for leading a campaign against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on alleged corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Boxing Day Test: Windies bid to avoid knockout blow- Under fire from all quarters after an abysmal start to their tour, West Indies have pledged to be more competitive at the traditional Boxing Day Test but will struggle to prevent hosts Australia from taking an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

England tour and Barmy Army's big income boost for South Africa- The Barmy Army are bringing much more than just their thirst and their songs to the Test cricket arena in South Africa over the next month - an expected 10,000 visitors also provide a marked income boost for the sport, says South African cricket supremo Haroon Lorgat.

England aim to dethrone Test kings South Africa- South Africa's status as the top-ranked Test-playing nation has been dented after their crushing defeat in India last month and is in danger of being eroded completely by England over the next month or two.

Finally, PCB gives up hopes on India-Pakistan cricket series- Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan finally gave up hope of organising the proposed India-Pakistan cricket series in the near future but has set sights for next year for the resumption of bilateral cricketing ties between the two countries.

Poor rating for Nagpur pitch a subjective decision by Crowe: BCCI- The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar on Wednesday said that the BCCI will abide by the International Cricket Council's decision of rating Nagpur pitch as 'poor' but at the same time termed the inference on the nature of the wicket being a 'subjective decision' by ICC match referee Jeff Crowe.

Hazare Trophy: Dhoni's 70 in vain as Delhi thrash Jharkhand- Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unbeaten half-century was in vain as Delhi scored a 99-run victory over Jharkhand in a lop-sided second quarter-final in the Vijay Hazare trophy, One-day tournament, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.

Steve Smith voted ICC Cricketer of the Year - Indian players failed to make a mark as Australians and South Africans swept the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Annual Awards with Steve Smith clinching the coveted trophies of Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year.

Pak legend Imran Khan returns to cricket as mentor in PSL- World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan has been named mentor of Pakistan Super League franchise Peshawar Zalmi. The former pace ace, who is now chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a political party, returns to cricket after a break of over two decades.

Axar determined to prove Gavaskar wrong in Australia- Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has taken Sunil Gavaskar's stinging criticism in his stride and says he is determined to prove the former India captain wrong with consistent performances, starting with the five-match ODI series in Australia next month.

Marsh waiting for moment to shine at crease vs WI- Mitchell Marsh's spot in a rebuilding Australia side is assured for at least the Boxing Day Test against West Indies but the all-rounder is feeling some heat to score runs to shore up his place.

Pakistan Super League: Younis unsold; Misbah for Islamabad- Pakistan's Test stalwart Younis Khan, who led the national team to its only World T20 title in 2009, remained unsold while captain Misbah-ul Haq was snapped up by the Islamabad franchise on the first day of the Players' Draft for the Pakistan Super League, on Monday.

Nagpur pitch receives official warning- The International Cricket Council announced on Monday that Jamtha Stadium, Nagpur, has been given an official warning under the ICC Pitch Monitoring Process following the third Test between India and South Africa.

BCCI to decide on quantum of punishment to Chandila this week- The Board of Control for Cricket in India's three-member disciplinary panel, headed by president Shashank Manohar, will meet this week to decide the fate of Ajit Chandilla and Hiken Shah who have been accused of trying to fix games in the 2013 and last edition of the Indian Premier League respectively.

Kane Williamson rises to top of Test rankings- Kane Williamson is the second New Zealand batsman after Glenn Turner to top the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen following a man of the match performance in the Hamilton Test against Sri Lanka, which helped the home side win by five wickets and take the series 2-0.

Khawaja seals test spot with Twenty20 ton- Usman Khawaja proved his fitness with an unbeaten century in the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League at the weekend to secure his place in the Australia team for the second Test against West Indies.

DDCA president Bansal refutes Azad's accusations- Reacting to Kirti Azad's expose on the alleged DDCA scam, President Sneh Prakash Bansal has strongly refuted the charges saying that no company bill mentioned in the sting operation exists in the cricket body's transaction records.

Azad's claims nothing new, says former DDCA official Chetan Chauhan- Reacting to Kirti Azad's claim of financial bunglings in the DDCA, its vice-president Chetan Chauhan said that all the material the BJP MP relied upon for his allegations were taken from the earlier findings on the basis of which S P Bansal was removed as president.

DDCA corruption storm: Sehwag, Gambhir back Jaitley- Top India players, including Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, on Sunday, came out strongly in support of Finance Minister and former DDCA President Arun Jaitley, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to financial irregularities during his tenure by AAP.

Will Yuvraj get his old form back in 2nd innings?- His career getting a fresh lease of life following the selection for next year's Twenty20 matches against Australia, Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh on Sunday said he cannot wait to be back in the dressing room after going through a 'really terrible' phase.

New Zealand close in on win but Sri Lanka fight on- A hobbling Kane Williamson guided New Zealand to 142 for five at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hamilton, with the hosts needing another 47 runs to seal a 2-0 series sweep.

BCCI sends 'clear cut message': Dhoni will be our leader at T20 WC- Soon after retaining Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India captain till the World Twenty20 Championships, chief selector Sandip Patil said the Board wanted to end speculations and "send a signal" to players as to who would be their leader at the mega-event to be held in India from March 8 to April 3.

Michael Clarke can make a U-turn- Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who retired from all forms of international cricket earlier this year, is considering a return to the Twenty20 format.

Chameera produces career-best return as NZ struggle- Paceman Dushmantha Chameera took career-best figures with aggressive short-pitched bowling to give Sri Lanka a slight advantage at the close of play on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday.

Hussey laughs off World Twenty20 comeback chatter- Retired Test batsman Mike Hussey has laughed off suggestions he could return to Australian colours for next year's World Twenty20 after scoring an unbeaten 80 to lead the Sydney Sixers to victory in the domestic Big Bash League.

DDCA refutes allegations against former chief Jaitley- The Delhi and District Cricket Association again strongly refuted the AAP's allegations of financial bungling by its former chief, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, saying the charges are completely baseless and without substance.

'Will be transparent in all our dealings and focus on execution'- With decks cleared for him to continue as president of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) following rival Amin pathan's withdrawal of 'No Confidence Motion', former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi in a series of tweets spoke about making the state association "transparent".

Modi back in RCA as Amin Pathan withdraws No Confidence motion- Controversial former IPL czar Lalit Modi and his team are all set to resume their charges at the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) after rival group's Amin Pathan officially withdrew his 'No Confidence Motion' brought in to remove the four office-bearers.

A big challenge to bowl against Dhoni: Jadeja- India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who will be pitted against his former Chennai Super Kings skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in the Indian Premier League later next year, believes bowling to India's limited-overs' team captain will be a big challenge.

Big-hitting Yusuf eyes World T20 berth - "I have had a very good Ranji season this year. If you talk about T20 then I have had a very good IPL season for KKR. I am bowling well, letting down 9-10 overs in every match (Vijay Hazare), so things are moving in the right direction. Wickets are coming my way and I am also getting runs, when I am batting.

India colts down England in U-19 tri-series- Top-order batsmen made it count as India Under-19 stretched their unbeaten run to three matches after outplaying England colts by 20 runs in the tri-series youth ODI tournament at Colombo.

Gavaskar wants Indian captain for Rajkot IPL team- Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that Rajkot, the new team in the Indian Premier League, should have an Indian captain, saying it makes sense to have somebody who knows the local players well at the helm.

Who will lead Rajkot? Raina or McCullum?- India's limited-overs specialist Suresh Raina is likely to lead the new Intex-owned Rajkot IPL team. Picked first by the franchise in Tuesday's Player draft for a hefty sum of Rs 12.5 crore, he looks set to be entrusted the top job.

IPL draft: Dhoni, McCullum and Jadeja up for grabs- India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, along with his teammates Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin, among others, will be up for grabs for the two new IPL teams in the draft to be held in Mumbai.

ICC team inspects facilities at Mohali ahead of WT20- Led by the ICC's head of events, Chris Tetley, and Board of Control for Cricket in India Tournament Director M V Sridhar, a joint team which arrived in the city on Sunday night, visited the stadium in the morning, carried out an inspection and met with PCA officials.

India favourites to win ICC World T20?- A lot of former players and cricket pundits have predicted India as the potential favourites to win the ICC World T20, scheduled to be held in India from March.

Chappell bats for India over Nagpur Test pitch controversy- Virtually backing India's stance on producing spin-friendly tracks, former Australian captain Ian Chappell said he does not see anything wrong in the turning track in the Nagpur Test which saw India thrash South Africa inside three days, saying matches played elsewhere on seaming tracks have ended "in the blink of an eye".

Holder, Windies fined for slow over rate in Hobart Test- West Indies captain Jason Holder's week went from bad to worse on Sunday when he was fined 60 percent of his match fee for a slow over rate during the first Test loss to Australia and could face a ban if the tourists repeat the offence.

Akram advises PCB against boycotting World T20 in India- Notwithstanding India's delay in giving a go-ahead for the proposed Indo-Pak bilateral series this month, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has advised the PCB against thinking about a boycott of the World T20 in India in March-April next year.

Why Kohli is a big admirer of AB de Villiers...- Praising AB de Villiers for his 'versatility' as a batsman, India Test captain Virat Kohli on Friday said the South African maestro's defiant knock, albeit in a losing cause, in the fourth and final Test match in Delhi was a classic example of 'application' in the longer format.

Dunedin Test: Williamson milestone helps NZ stretch lead- Kane Williamson became the second New Zealand batsman to score 1000 Test runs in a calendar year as the hosts built an imposing 308-run lead over Sri Lanka at the close of the third day's play of the first Test in Dunedin.

IPL Players' draft to be held in Mumbai on Dec 15- The IPL Players' draft to allow two new franchises based in Pune and Rajkot pick 10 players of their choice will be held at the Mumbai Cricket Association's clubhouse in the Bandra-Kurla Complex on December 15.

ICC World Twenty20 2016: The full schedule- A total of 58 tournament matches, including 35 men's and 23 women's , will be played in the 27-day tournament in Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi. New Delhi and Mumbai will host the semi-finals on March 30 and 31 respectively, while Eden Gardens in Kolkata will be the venue for April 3 finals.

Cook eager to topple Proteas- England captain Alastair Cook is still hurting after the Test series defeat by Pakistan but believes his side are equipped to strike back against the world's number one team in South Africa. As he prepared to fly out with his team to South Africa on Thursday, Cook, who has never won a Test series against the Proteas, described just how important a victory will be."It would mean a huge amount to beat the world number one nation in their backyard," the 30-year-old, leading the current fifth-ranked Test nation, told a news conference. "That's the challenge we've got ahead of us.

1st Test: Chandimal, Karunaratne defy New Zealand- Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne obstinately defied New Zealand's bowlers for much of the second day of the first Test at University Oval in Dunedin on Friday though the hosts still have the upper hand.

Voges and Marsh rewrite record books in Hobart- Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh put together the highest fourth wicket stand in the history of Test cricket on Friday, their combined 449 pushing Australia to 583 for four at lunch on day two of the first Test against West Indies.

WT20 final: ICC clean chit for Eden Gardens- The International Cricket Council inspection team foresees "no roadblock" in Eden Gardens hosting the ICC World Twenty20 final, even as it is learnt that they want two more dressing rooms at the venue.

Time running out for India-Pakistan cricket series- Conceding that time is running out for the proposed India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series to take place, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the Board is still waiting for the government's approval.

Brian Lara to star for Australian Legends XI against Perth Scorchers- West Indies legend Brian Lara will team up with some of Australia's finest players like Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Glenn McGrath for the Australian Legends XI, which will take on Big Bash League champions Perth Scorchers in the Festival of Cricket match in Perth on Friday.

Ankle surgery set to keep Starc out of World T20- Starc has long suffered from bone spurs in his right ankle and decided to take the opportunity to have an operation to resolve the problem while sidelined by a foot injury sustained against New Zealand.

PHOTOS: This Dhoni is super cute!- India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's daughter turned 10 month old and the fans were delighted when his wife, Saakshi, shared her recent adorable pictures on social networking site.

Guptill, Williamson put NZ in strong position- Martin Guptill struck his third Test century while Kane Williamson fell just short his 13th as New Zealand blunted Sri Lanka's inexperienced bowling attack to set themselves up for a big total in the first Test in Dunedin on Thursday.

3 causes of West Indies cricket's decline- Brian Lara has slammed the ' badly run' Caribbean cricket administration, saying that the trust deficit between the board and players is harming the West Indies team.

India-Pakistan cricket series: PCB's ultimatum to BCCI- With time running out for the proposed India-Pakistan cricket series, the Pakistan Cricket Board has said it would call off the much-talked-about rubber if the Indian government does not give its approval in the next couple of days.

Why so much fuss about Indo-Pak cricket series?- Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf cannot understand the fuss around the proposed cricket series against India as he feels that apart from filling up PCB coffers, it would hardly make a difference to either of the two countries or to the world.

Kohli takes a break; Shikhar, Ishant to turn out for Delhi- India's Test captain Virat Kohli has decided to take rest while teammates Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma will be playing for Delhi's home fixture against Baroda in their opening group league match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, to be played on Thursday.

Dhoni set for first domestic game in eight years- India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play his first domestic game for Jharkhand in eight long years when they meet Jammu and Kashmir in a group B game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, in Alur, Karnataka.

Australia v West Indies: Pattinson ready for opener- James Pattinson will replace fellow-quick Mitchell Starc in the Australia team for this week's opening test against West Indies, captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday, reviving a promising career that had stalled because of injury.

Controversies make IPL's stock soar- Despite all the controversies, the IPL's brand value hasn't diminished. Instead, says Harish Kotian/<em>Rediff.com</em>, the IPL made the BCCI richer by over Rs 3 billion!

'Ganguly not involved with IPL Pune franchise'- Newly-bought Pune IPL franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka ruled out any conflict of interest over former India captain Sourav Ganguly's co-ownership of Indian Super League franchise Atletico de Kolkata and his team.

Sourav Ganguly has no conflict of interest: BCCI chief- After industrialist Sanjeev Goenka's company, New Rising, successfully bid for the Pune Indian Premier League team, questions on potential conflict of interest were raised since Ganguly is a Governing Council member as well as co-owner of Indian Super League football team Atletico de Kolkata, of which Goenka is one of its owners.

IPL-9 to kick-off on April 9- The next edition of the Indian Premier League will be held from April 9 with new franchisees Rajkot and Pune, which replaced Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The tournament will begin five days after conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20, which India will host.

Pune and Rajkot the two new IPL teams- The BCCI followed the reverse bidding process to select the two new team owners. The new teams will replace the suspended teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, for two years.

Rahane becomes India's highest-ranked Test batsman- Ajinkya Rahane has become India's highest-ranked Test batsman in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings after scoring two centuries in the 337 runs victory over South Africa in the fourth and final Test, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, which gave the home side a 3-0 series triumph.

It's time Ashwin & Co won matches abroad!- 126 of Ashwin's 176 Test wickets, points out Bikash Mohapatra, have come on home turf. Half of the remaining 50 have come on similar surfaces in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

'Failure-ridden Windies may disband within 10 years'- A former West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) director has said that the once-formidable Windies can completely lose its credibility and disintegrate ten years from now due to its constant failure at the international level.

India can go and win more Tests abroad too: Kohli- India's 3-0 home victory over South Africa is another indication of the growing stature of an improving team that can now go on and win Tests anywhere in the world, according to captain Virat Kohli.

We are waiting for Indian Foreign Minister's response: PCB- Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said that he is hoping for the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to come out with a response soon on the proposed bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan. "For last 2-3 days, Indian High Commissioner was here for a farewell visit. He did not have much information relating to this (proposed tour).

Amla hails South Africa's 'selfless' blocking in defeat- South Africa captain Hashim Amla hailed his team's uncharacteristically dogged batting in the fourth and final test against India even though it was not enough to avert their third loss in the four-match series. Set a daunting 481-run victory target, South Africa resorted to extraordinary stone-walling at Feroz Shah Kotla, blocking over after over in their desperate bid to prolong the contest.

Congratulate Team India on historic victory!- Indian bowlers showed outstanding perseverance to end South Africa's dogged resistance and register a comprehensive 337 run victory in the final cricket Test, winning the four-match series by a historic 3-0 margin.

Why the Govt is dragging its feet on Indo-Pak series- The Indian Premier League chairman, Rajeev Shukla, on Monday, questioned the delay behind the resumption of the much-awaited bilateral series between India and Pakistan, and called on the government to take a firm stand on the matter.

Rahane is currently India's most complete Test batsman: Gavaskar- Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has described Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a century in each innings of the fourth Test against South Africa at the Ferozshah Kotla, as the most complete Indian batsman in the current team as he has "done well in all conditions".

India opener Vijay fined for showing dissent- India opener Murali Vijay has been fined 30 percent of his match fee for showing dissent after being given out in the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.

Here's why BCCI is in a fix...- It was a letter of April 2014 sent by the then Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Narayanaswami Srinivasan to Pakistan Cricket Board which bound India to a commitment to play Pakistan this month, leading to the present dilemma in the establishment.

INTERESTING numbers from Day 3 of the Delhi Test- Captain Virat Kohli roared back to form with a scintillating unbeaten 83 as India further consolidated their position with whopping overall lead of 403 runs at stumps on Day 3 of the fourth and final Test against South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, on Saturday.

Stats: Skipper Kohli records 1000 Test runs in India- Captain Virat Kohli scored a scintillating unbeaten 83, while Ajinkya Rahane was unbeaten on 52 as the duo put on the first hundred-run partnership of the series and ensured that India took a massive 403-run lead on Day 3 of the fourth Test against South Africa in New Delhi on Saturday.

Why Proteas are happy about India batting longer- 'I think if we had rattled one or two more in the morning, we threw everything at them today morning and with all due respect, they batted incredibly well. Maybe at a stage, 350 was on our mind, that we were possibly looking at. But then it just seemed to get a bit slower and it was definitely not reversing as much as it was yesterday'

BCCI had instructed Kohli to stay away from felicitation- It was also learnt that Board of Control for Cricket in India had turned down a similar request from Royal Challengers Bangalore during the second Test match when they wanted to felicitate AB de Villiers for playing his 100th Test match.

Luck and timing crucial to Jadeja's impressive comeback- 'When I was dropped from the team, I think in June-July, I was out for nearly six months. At the start of the Ranji Trophy season I got three matches in Rajkot, and luck also favoured us with the wickets offering turn'

India in command after captain Kohli leads by example- Captain Virat Kohli roared back to form with a scintillating unbeaten 83 as India further consolidated their position with whopping overall lead of 403 runs at stumps on Day 3 of the fourth and final Test against South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, on Saturday.

Kejriwal insisted on felicitation on field of play: Mudgal- Delhi High Court appointed observer Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 'insisted' on having the state government felicitation of World Cup-winning cricketers on the field of play of Feroz Shah Kotla, which he could not have allowed as per BCCI directives.

BCCI says no to felicitation of World Cup winners in Delhi - The BCCI denied the Delhi Government permission to felicitate World Cup winners (1983 and 2011) from the state, along with former captain Bishan Singh Bedi, inside the Feroz Shah Kotla's field of play, saying that the planned ceremony would have violated norms.

Interesting numbers from Day 2 of the Delhi Test- India rode on Ajinkya Rahane's cultured century to post a series-high 334 before returning to skittle out South Africa for 121 to take full control of the fourth and final Test in Delhi, on Friday.

Don't blame pitches, the Proteas lack technique: Gavaskar- Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar rejected criticism of the pitches in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, and said the blame rather lies with the Proteas batsmen, who lack 'application, technique and temperament'.

Jadeja sends South Africa crashing after Rahane's century- Ravindra Jadeja did the star turn with a five-wicket haul, after Ajinkya Rahane's brilliant century, as India took control of the fourth Test against South Africa by taking a commanding 213-run lead on the second day at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, on Friday.

Kohli, Dhawan to play under Gambhir in Delhi's One-day squad- India Test captain Virat Kohli, premier batsman Shikhar Dhawan and speedster Ishant Sharma were named in Delhi's One-day squad, which will be led by Gautam Gambhir, for the North Zone leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy between December 10-18.

'I look to become a better player with every match'- 'Sachin Paaji told me to enjoy the situation because this is a reward for all the hard work I have put in for so many years in domestic cricket. He told me not to take any pressure on myself, but to enjoy the moment because this will stay with me forever.'

Fought with selectors to include Kumble for 2003-04 Aus tour: Ganguly- Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Anil Kumble was nearly dropped for their famous tour to Australia in 2003-04 but it was him who fought with the selectors till late in the night to take the legendary leg-spinner on board. According to Ganguly, the selectors were keen for a left-arm spinner Murali Kartik for the tour Down Under but on Ganguly's insistence Kumble was taken as he returned with 24 wickets, the highest in the series with India retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after drawing the series 1-1.

Bangladesh throw 'bookies' out of premier league- At least four suspected bookmakers have been thrown out of cricket stadiums during the ongoing scandal-tainted Bangladesh Premier League, in efforts to ensure the tournament is graft free, an official said on Thursday. BPL secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said anti-corruption officials had spotted the four whom they suspected of placing bets on behalf of clients during Twenty20 league matches, which is illegal in Bangladesh.

PHOTOS: Great moment at Kotla! BCCI felicitates Sehwag- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) felicitated the recently-retired Virender Sehwag at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday before the start of the fourth Test match between India and South Africa.

Regret not scoring 400 runs: Sehwag- The recently-retired Virender Sehwag has rated his first Test century as the most memorable moment but said he regretted not having scored a 400 despite reaching the triple-century mark twice during his illustrious career.

Kotla Test: Confident India eye No.2 slot in Test rankings- The 22-yard strip at the Feroz Shah Kotla will be the cynosure of all eyes as a buoyant India seeks their biggest series triumph against South Africa when they square off in the final Test of the four-match rubber in Delhi on Thursday.

Steyn to miss final Test in Delhi - South African speedster Dale Steyn will miss the fourth and final test against India with a lingering groin injury that has limited his participation in the four-match series to a solitary contest in the series-opener in Mohali.

Kohli takes a dig at ICC- India's Test captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday took a dig at the ICC, which rated the Nagpur track as 'poor', and wondered why nothing is written when teams get out for under 50-100 runs on South African pitches.

How to counter Aussie sledging?- New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has revealed how he responded perfectly to the Australian sledgers during the historic day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Ashwin engaged in a war of words with Hogg- Ravichandran Ashwin and Rodney Hogg were engaged in a war of words with the former Australian pacer saying that the Indian spinner was successful against South Africa mainly due to the spin-friendly wickets during the Test series.

We need to invest time and energy on junior cricket: Dravid- Former India captain Rahul Dravid has called upon the BCCI to formulate a blueprint for junior cricket and said it was imperative to remove age fudging and illegal bowling action at the that level for the development of Indian cricket.

Nagpur pitch rated 'poor' by ICC Match Referee- In major embarrassment for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the International Cricket Council rated the track at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Nagpur, on which the third Test between India and South Africa was played, as "poor", triggering a review of the performance of the pitch under the ICC Pitch Monitoring Process.

Steyn doubtful for Kotla Test, De Lange has extended session- When South African team entered the Feroz Shah Kotla arena on Tuesday, all eyes were on Dale Steyn but the pace spearhead skipped the net session, indicating that he has still not recovered from the groin injury he had sustained during the first Test against India in Mohali.

India vs SA: It was never meant to be 'pitch' perfect- With a record that was anything to be proud of, the only way India could have beaten the South Africans in the ongoing Test series was by using 'home advantage' to the optimum, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.

Australia call up Coulter-Nile after Starc injury- Australia called up uncapped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out of the series due to a broken foot.

ICC hails successful debut for day/night Test cricket- ICC Chief Executive David Richardson has hailed the successful debut of day/night Test cricket and expressed hope that more Boards will embrace the concept which can greatly enhance the traditional format of the game.

'Stop cribbing about pitches and get on with the job at hand'- Livid with the criticism that pitches for the ongoing series against South Africa are not sporting enough, Indian Team Director Ravi Shastri said there is nothing wrong with Test matches folding up in three days and the critics should "stop cribbing".

Imran bats for resumption of Indo-Pak cricketing ties- Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan on Monday said that Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series should take place as per schedule next month despite the prevailing political and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Ganguly joins Sehwag, Lara for Masters Champions League- Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will join compatriot Virender Sehwag and other top cricketers from around the world in the inaugural edition of the Masters Champions League Twenty20 tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in January.

Kumble steps down as Mumbai Indians mentor- Anil Kumble has decided to step down as the chief mentor of Mumbai Indians (MI) with immediate effect. The legendary spinner has been associated with Mumbai Indians since January 2013.

Mumbai's ace spinner Dabholkar reported for suspect action- Dabholkar, who has taken as many as 27 wickets in six games so far, and off-spinner Ankush Jaiswal - in his Ranji debut against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, were reported by the umpires to have flexed their elbows beyond the 15-degree permissible limit in the game and cannot play till their rectified action is cleared by the board.

Australia paceman Starc ruled out of entire summer- Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies and is no certainty to play in Australia's tour of New Zealand early next year as he recovers from a broken foot, the left-armer said on Monday.

DRS controversy rages on...- New Zealand are awaiting clarification from the International Cricket Council regarding Nigel Llong's contentious third umpire decision in the day-night Test against Australia after the ruling had an "impact" on the game, coach Mike Hesson has said.

Will Kotla pitch offer assistance to spinners?- Former India opener and DDCA's working president Chetan Chauhan said that Feroz Shah Kotla track will be a "good Test match wicket" when the hosts play South Africa in the fourth and final match in New Delhi.

Pink ball passes test with big crowds- Australia went down as victors of the first floodlit test after sealing a nerve-jangling, three-wicket victory late on Sunday but organisers will also claim a win, with 120,000 fans flocking to Adelaide Oval through the match.

Sarfaraz stars as India clinch Under-19 tri-series title- India put up a spirited bowling performance, before Mumbai youngster, Sarfaraz Khan struck an unbeaten half-century to steer the team to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh and clinch the U-19 tri-series one-day cricket tournament in Kolkata on Sunday.

BCCI ties up with Maharashtra Police to fight corruption- The BCCI has submitted a written request to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to create a sports integrity Intelligence Gathering Unit (IGU) that will see the board and the Maharashtra Police come together to tackle corruption in Indian cricket.

Starc likely to return for NZ tour: McDermott- Australia's bowling coach Craig McDermott has revealed Mitchell Starc's foot injury isn't as bad as first feared and hopes the left-arm pacer will play on Australia's tour of New Zealand.

Few things that Pakistan need to improve ahead of T20 WC- Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has admitted that his side need to work on their fitness and fielding ahead of next year's World T20 tournament following his side's three-run defeat against England in the second Twenty20 international in Dubai.

Shastri tells Aussies to shut up- 'Let them sit in Australia and talk about their pitches. Tell them not to waste their time about Indian tracks. Come and play here'

ECB makes helmets mandatory- The rule of mandatory helmets for English cricketers comes in the wake of former Australian batsman Phillip Hughes' death, who was struck by a bouncer on the back of the neck during a domestic match in Sydney.

DRS howler, team masseur's misfield take centre stage on Day 3- The Decision Review System was again mired in controversy on Saturday (November 28) during the second day's play between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide after Nathan Lyon was controversially given a reprieve off an appeal for a catch despite HotSpot clearly indicating an edge.

'Team India showed character to come back after T20 and ODI losses'- Hailing India's incredible series win against the number one-ranked Test side South Africa, former captain Sunil Gavaskar said the home team's turnaround in the longer-format after the loss in the ODIs and T20s speaks volumes about the character of the Virat Kohli-led side.

Govt yet to clear India-Pak cricket series- Days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India's request to the government for clearance on resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan, the External Affairs Ministry said no decision has been taken on it.

Arjun Tendulkar named in Mumbai Under-16 team- Arjun Tendulkar, son of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, has been selected for the Mumbai under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy team after an all-round show in the Mumbai Cricket Association's Under-16 Payyade Trophy.

'The demons are there in batsmen's mind, not in the surface'- Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has defended the nature of Jamtha track, saying it is poor "technique" of the batsmen and not any "demon" in the pitch that resulted in South Africa being bundled out for a paltry 79 during the third Test.

We don't want wickets where matches finishes in two days: Dravid- Former India captain Rahul Dravid was very critical of the pitches being prepared in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, where "getting six to seven wickets by bowling darts" has become the order of the day and said that it will prove to be detrimental towards producing "good cricketers".

Ashwin reveals plans for Day III as India eye series win- Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed five for 32 in South Africa's paltry first innings of 79, says the home side needs to be patient on Day 3 as things will be different in the second innings. Harish Kotian reports from Nagpur.

India sight victory in Nagpur as South Africa succumb to spin- A staggering 20 wickets fell on a dramatic day as India shot out South Africa for a record-low first innings score of 79 before setting the visitors a formidable target of 310 to win the third and penultimate cricket Test and clinch the series.

ICC chief Manohar slams 'bullying' by 'Big Three'- International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar has flayed the imbalance of power within the governing body and criticised last year's revamp which, he believes, allows India, England and Australia to "bully" the organisation.

Ponting remembers Hughes on first death anniversary- As the first death anniversary of former Australian batsman Phillip Hughes nears, former skipper Ricky Ponting has paid tribute to the late cricketer, saying that he misses his 'infectious personality'.

Nagpur Test: Indian spinners strike early after batsmen capitulate- India failed to make the best of first use of the wicket, their batsmen capitulating against both pace and spin as they were dismissed for 215 in the first innings in the third Test against South Africa at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, in Nagpur, on Wednesday. However, the hosts hit back immediately, claiming two early scalps, leaving the Proteas reeling on 11 for 2 after nine overs at the end of Day 1.

Will England host Indo-Pak Tests next year?- The much talked-about India-Pakistan cricket series could be played out in two parts with Sri Lanka hosting the limited-overs games next month and England being the venue for Test matches next year.

Pink ball Test: It's perfect, says Lyon- Batsmen have dominated Australia's series against New Zealand, but the pink ball and a green-tinged wicket should swing the balance of power back to the bowlers when Adelaide hosts Test cricket's inaugural day-night match.

BCCI's olive branch? 'We can look at sending Indian players for PSL'- Indian Premier League Chairman and the Board of Control for Cricket in India functionary Rajeev Shukla has claimed that the Indian Board is open to considering any request from its Pakistan counterpart seeking permission for its players' participation in the Pakistan Super League.

Ranji Trophy: Odisha crash to Bengal for 37, slam pitch- Bengal wrapped up what was meant to be a four-day Ranji Trophy contest in just one-and-a-half day after blowing away Odisha for an unbelievable 37, prompting the livid visiting team to lodge a complaint about the nature of the pitch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

India looking to spoil South Africa's away record- An enviable nine-year overseas record of 10 Test series wins in 14 rubbers by South Africa is under serious threat by India when the two teams face-off in the third and penultimate game of the current series at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha in Nagpur from Wednesday.

You don't want to select a bowler who could break down: Morkel- Injured South Africa pacer Dale Steyn bowled for a short while in the nets, raising hopes of him being included in the playing XI in the third Test against India in Nagpur, but his fast bowling partner Morne Morkel said the team is keeping its fingers crossed.

Cricket seeks inclusion in Olympics. But when?- David Richardson, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has confirmed that possibilities of including cricket in the summer Olympics are being explored following a positive meeting with the officials of the International Olympic Committee.

Pink ball Test will be a flop, reckons Wassan. Do you agree?- Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan on Sunday said that the idea of experimenting with the pink ball and the day and night Test would be a flop from the perspective of attracting more spectators to the stadium to watch the game in real time.

Fast and furious: India's young pacer Khan making waves- He is just 18 but is capable of bowling really quick as was proved when he touched 139.8kmph against Pakistan in the last Under-19 World Cup. Meet India's young pace gun -- Avesh Khan, an unassuming 18-year-old from Indore, who wants to create his own identity.

Former Deputy CAG to look after DDCA tenders for 4th Test- The Delhi High Court-appointed observer Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal said that a former Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will look after the tender process for the fourth cricket Test between India and South Africa starting next month.

Justice Mudgal set for Kotla visit as DDCA starts Test preparations- The Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) during an internal meeting on Friday formed 10 sub-committees that will work under Delhi high court-appointed observer Jutice Mukul Mudgal to ensure smooth conduct of the fourth and final Test between India and South Africa, to be played from December 3 to 7.

'No BCCI member was snooped during Srinivasan tenure'- Former Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Sanjay Patel on Friday said in his defence that UK-based company 'Page Protection Services', hired by the previous dispensation, 'did not snoop on any Board official' during his time in office.

Bring on the pink ball Test: Lyon- Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has some reservations about meddling with the traditions of the longest form of cricket but cannot wait to get a pink ball in his hands in the world's first day-night Test against New Zealand next week.

England recall Compton, Ballance for SA tour; Bell dropped- The 33-year-old has played 118 Tests for England, scoring 7,727 runs and winning five Ashes series since becoming a regular in the side following his debut in 2004, but disappointed in the recently concluded series against Pakistan.

Kotla Test: DDCA will organise a good game, says Chetan Chauhan- With the Delhi high court clearing the decks for the fourth and final Test between India and South Africa to be staged at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi & District Cricket Association vice-president Chetan Chauhan declared on Thursday his association will "organise a good game", come December 3.

Court paves way for DDCA to stage India-SA fourth Test- Relieved after the Delhi high court's direction to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to issue a provisional occupancy certificate, required to stage the fourth Test between India and South Africa, Delhi and District Cricket Association vice-president Chetan Chauhan welcomed the appointment of Justice Mukul Mudgal to oversee the affairs of the match at Feroz Shah Kotla.

IPL spot-fixing: Delhi HC issues notice to all accused- The Delhi High Court has issued notices to all of the accused involved in the sixth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing case after admitting the Delhi Police plea against their acquittal by a trial court.

Bengaluru Test drawn after four days of rain- The second Test between India and South Africa ended in a damp draw after cyclonic rains and a wet outfield ensured not a single ball could be bowled for a fourth successive day at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Australia's Shaun Marsh gets another Test life- Top order batsman Shaun Marsh was called into the Australia squad for the third Test against New Zealand on Wednesday along with pace bowler James Pattinson and left arm spinner Steve O'Keefe.

Pakistan will NOT play 'home' series in India- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan insisted that his country will not play its 'home' series in India and asked the BCCI to honour its commitment to play the proposed series in the UAE.

PHOTOS: Johnson takes 2-20 in final Test innings- The second Test between Australia and New Zealand fizzled out in a draw on Tuesday but not before Mitchell Johnson gave one last reminder of his bowling prowess on the day he announced his retirement from international cricket.

Aus-New Zealand second Test ends in a draw- The second Test between Australia and New Zealand ended in a draw on Tuesday, with the tourists 217 runs short of their victory target of 321 on a rain-disrupted fifth and final day at the WACA.

Micheal-Kyly Clarke blessed with baby girl- A close source revealed about the former Australian cricket team captain and his model wife welcoming their first child and though the delivery was premature, the baby and the mother were all well and healthy, News.com.au reported.

DDCA fails to get Govt nod, 4th Test set to be shifted to Pune- The fourth and final Test match between India and South Africa to be held in Delhi from December 3-7 is set to be moved to Pune after the Arvind Kerjiwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government refused to grant Delhi and District Cricket Association the required permissions to host the match.

Disabled Indian-origin cricketer BEHEADED in South Africa- In a brutal incident, a young promising South African Indian intellectually-impaired cricketer has been beheaded in a ritual sacrifice, prompting police to start a probe and arrest three persons including his best friend in connection with the murder.

BCCI considers itself above Indian law: Kirti Azad- Expressing his view on the BCCI's recent proposal to play Pakistan in a limited-over-series in India, former Indian cricketer and BJP MP Kirti Azad on Sunday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India always sees itself as being above the law.

Starc sizzles! Bowls fastest-ever Test delivery- Australia's Mitchell Starc bowled the fastest delivery ever measured at a Test match when the fourth ball of his 21st over at the WACA on Sunday was clocked at 160.4 kilometres per hour.

Ranji Roundup: Mumbai dismiss Railways for cheap total- Led ably by Shardul Thakur, Mumbai bowlers put up a much better display than the previous game and shot out Railways for a paltry 217 on day one of their four-day Group 'B' Ranji Trophy tie at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.

PHOTOS: What a thrilling end to All-Stars series!- Sachin's Blasters suffered their third successive defeat against Warne's Warriors, going down by four wickets in a last-over thriller, to lose the Cricket All-Stars T20 Series 0-3 at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The re-emergence of India's spin king, Ashwin- Ravichandran Ashwin, was again the highest wicket-taker for India with figures of 4 for 70 on Day 1 of the 2nd Test in Bangalore on Saturday. India's top off-spinner reveals how a new-found confidence allows him to place the odds in his favour whenever he bowling to a new batsman.

2nd Test: Spinners put India in control- AB de Villiers' masterly 85 in his 100th test could not gloss over South Africa's spin frailty as India took charge of the second Test after dominating the opening day at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Umesh, Bhuvneshwar, Gurkeerat released for Ranji duties- The Indian team management released pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar besides all-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann from the Test squad to enable them to play their next Ranji Trophy matches for their respective state sides on Saturday.

RCB youngsters salute AB: 'He's down-to-earth, nice human being'- India's young batting stars Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, who played alongside AB in this year's Indian Premier League, said it was like a dream come true for them to share the same dressing room with the South African, who is on the threshold of the unique landmark of 100 Test matches.

Another 'spin test' in store for injury-hit Proteas- Having decimated South Africa inside three days on a turning track in Mohali, India will again look to unleash their troika of spinners to spoil A B de Villiers's landmark 100th match when the two sides meet in the second Test, in Bangalore, on Saturday.

Why Ishant's return is a big boost for Team India...- With so much focus on turning wickets and spinners, India captain Virat Kohli on Friday stressed that fast bowlers also have an important role to play and the return of strike bowler Ishant Sharma is a big boost for the team.

Pakistan's Akmal dropped amid alleged discipline breach- Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.

PHOTOS: Cricket legends light up Houston on Diwali- Unfortunately, the day chosen for the match was the actual day of Diwali and cricket starved Houstonians were in a dilemma about staying home with family and friends or going to watch their back-in-action cricket heroes.

Cuttack T20: Report on bottle-throwing incident submitted- Odisha home secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy, on Thursday, submitted his inquiry report with the state government on the water bottle-throwing incident during the Twenty20 International match between India and South Africa at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on October 7.

The secret of Pujara's success against spin- While the spinners stole the limelight in India's convincing victory in the first Test against South Africa in Mohali, one cannot forget the key contribution made by Cheteshwar Pujara with the bat, especially in the second innings when batting had become really difficult.

AB@100: 'I am not a nice guy on the field'- 'I don't care where I play my 100th Test. I didn't mind where I played my 50th; I don't mind where I play any of my Test matches. Representing my country is a great honour'

I feel like getting out there and bowling: Johnson- A rejuvenated Mitchell Johnson needs only one victim to become Australia's third-highest Test wicket-taker but will hope for a bigger haul at his home ground in Perth, where New Zealand will be fighting to keep the three-match series alive.

KEY decisions taken at BCCI's AGM, multiple roles for Ganguly- Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar on Tuesday took over as the International Cricket Council replacing his predecessor Narayanswami Srinivasan, while the BCCI's rules conflict of interest were unanimously approved by the members.

BCCI gives DDCA November 17 deadline for India-SA 4th Test- The Board of Control for Cricket in India has given the Delhi & District Cricket Association a deadline of November 17 to get their house in order, failing which the fourth and final Test match between India and South Africa will be shifted to Pune.

BCCI announces monetary benefits to former players, umpires- The Board of Control for Cricket in India, on Sunday, announced a slew of monetary benefits for former cricketers, both domestic and international, including monthly and one-time payments, just a day before the Annual General Body Meeting of the Board in Mumbai on Sunday.

Captain Kohli rejects criticism of Mohali pitch. Do you agree?- India captain Virat Kohli rejected criticism of the pitch for the first Test against South Africa in Mohali and said it was 'errors in shot selection' that brought about wickets for spinners rather than the pitch playing tricks, a view his rival captain Hashim Amla also shared.

South Africa captain Amla slams batsmen after Mohali loss- Dismissing the notion that the Mohali pitch was a vicious turner, South Africa captain Hashim Amla on Saturday said most dismissals in the opening Test match was due to lack of spin rather than excess of it. He also came down hard on his batsmen, saying they could have applied themselves better.

Gavaskar on why Test matches are finishing inside 3 days- Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar on Saturday said that it is not a poor advertisement for cricket if a Test match finishes inside three days and such results are coming more often in recent years since the players nowadays lack patience to survive five days.

Ranji: Rohit, Iyer hit centuries as Mumbai dominate against UP- Youngster Shreyas Iyer slammed his third ton of the season, a strokeful 137, while senior batsman Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 110 as Mumbai made an imposing 407 for four on day one of their Group B Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, in Mumbai, on Saturday.

Stats: INTERESTING numbers from Mohali Test, Day 3- Ravindra Jadeja made a memorable comeback to Test cricket with a five-wicket haul as India scored a resounding 108-run victory against South Africa in a low scoring Test match. Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 3 of the first Test match, in Mohali, on Saturday.

Jadeja, Ashwin wrap up Mohali Test in 3 days- India's Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin thrived on a spinners' paradise in Mohali, bamboozling South Africa's batsmen in the first Test to secure a 108-run victory with more than two days to spare on Saturday.

Congratulate Team India on their Mohali win!- India defeated South Africa, the No 1 Test side, in perfect home conditions, in the first Test, at the PCA stadium, in Mohali, on Saturday. Join us in congratulating Team India on its success.

Thank God! I'm in Sachin's team, says Shoaib Akhtar- Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar heaved a sigh of relief when he was named in the team of his long-time rival Sachin Tendulkar for an inaugural three-match series in the US and said he's done bowling against the Indian batting legend whom he considers a 'brutal force' and the 'greatest player history has ever seen'.

Johnson pondered retirement post Ashes defeat- Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has admitted that he considered calling it quits after four of his closest teammates retired from the Test arena following the team's failure to retain the Ashes series against England.

One more game for struggling Shikhar Dhawan?- Shikhar Dhawan might have had a nightmarish time with the bat in the ongoing first cricket Test against South Africa, but former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, on Friday, came in support of the opener, saying going by his record the left-hander deserves another chance.

India extend lead after Ashwin takes five on Day 2- Cheteshwar Pujara's unbeaten 63 gave India a firm hold on the opening Test against South Africa after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up his 13th five-wicket haul to restrict the touring side to 184 on the second day on Friday.

Ashwin's day out in Mohali- India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin not only raced to the fastest 150 scalps in Indian Test history but also became the first man in over 100 years to bag 50 wickets after opening the bowling during the first cricket Test against South Africa, in progress, on Friday, in Mohali.

Pitch row: Wankhede curator awaiting MCA reply- The controversy over the batting track prepared for the fifth ODI between India and South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium, where the visitors hammered the hosts by 214 runs to win the series last month, is yet to die down.

Mohali Test, Day 1: 8 talking points- India might have wasted the advantage of winning the toss after being bundled out for a paltry 201 against South Africa, on Thursday, but batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels the hosts' first innings total is 'much bigger' than it looks on a slow and low pitch.

India left in a spin by part-timer Elgar on Day 1- Part-time spinner Dean Elgar ripped through India's batting line-up with four wickets as South Africa made the hosts rue their decision to bat first on the opening day of the first Test in Mohali, on Thursday.

'T20 is the perfect format for America'- 'Once you retire, it doesn't mean you never pick up a bat. We're picking up a cricket bat for fun, for enjoyment. While doing so if we can inspire thousands there's nothing wrong with it.'

Ajmal in a soup over controversial comments - Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal could face disciplinary action from the cricket authorities for his comments on the International Cricket Council (ICC) policy on bowlers with suspect bowling actions including of Indian spinners.

How Mohali curator steers clear of controversy...- Amid intense speculation on the nature of the PCA pitch ahead of the opening Test between India and South Africa, chief curator Daljit Singh, on Thursday, said the ageing track might be on the slower side but it will definitely be result-oriented.

Inzamam to continue as Afghanistan coach- Former Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq has agreed to carry on working with the Afghanistan cricket team as coach for a two-year period after tasting success with the side in Zimbabwe.

Former England batsman Graveney dies at age 88- Graveney, who represented English counties Gloucestershire and Worcestershire as well as Australian state Queensland, also worked as a BBC television commentator and served as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2005.

Pakistan's Shoaib Malik announces Test retirement- The announcement comes on the day Malik finished with career best figures of 4 for 33 to fold up England for 306, putting Pakistan in a strong position on Day Three of the ongoing third and final Test against Pakistan at Sharjah on Tuesday.

India opt for 'surface tension' to counter South Africa- For a visiting cricketer, an India tour conjures up the image of a batsman surrounded by a shoal of fielders and facing relentless spin from both ends and South Africa should not expect anything different in the four-test series starting on Thursday.

IPL has taken the ugly sledging away from cricket: Dhoni- Stressing the need to keep the spirit of gentleman's game alive, Indian limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said the Indian Premier League (IPL) has helped players from across the globe connect with each other and taken "ugly sledging" away from cricket.

Is this enough for Thakur to knock on Team India's door?- Having made an impression with his efforts in the drawn warm-up match between Indian Board President's XI and South Africans, Mumbai medium pacer Shardul Thakur said he is confident of taking wickets anywhere except on rank turners.

Practice match: Thakur shines; AB rallies South Africa with ton- Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur pushed South Africa to the backfoot before the classy AB de Villiers rallied the tourists with a typically aggressive century on the second and last day of the practice game against Board President's XI which ended in a draw, in Mumbai, on Saturday.

Shastri 'abused me', Wankhede curator Naik asks BCCI to take action- Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik has written a strongly-worded letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India calling for action against India's Team Director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun for their abusive behaviour during the fifth and final One-Dayer against South Africa in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Sporting wicket on the card for 1st India-SA Test in Mohali- Punjab Cricket Association on Friday said they will prepare a sporting wicket for next week's opening Test match between India and South Africa at Mohali with the pitch expected to help fast bowlers initially and the spinners also coming into play later on, in the five-day match.

Will pink ball prove to be a success in Test cricket?- Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland defended the use of the controversial pink ball in the face of players' criticism and is adamant it will prove a success during Test cricket's first day-night match in Adelaide next month.

BCCI approaches govt over Indo-Pak cricket relations- The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India in a letter expressed regret over the cancellation of talks between the heads of the two boards -- Shaharyar Khan and Shashank Manohar.

I am ready to bat at any number in Test cricket: Pujara- He might have scored a century as opener in the last Test that India played but Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday said he was willing to bat at any position he is asked to by the team's think-tank in the opening game against South Africa starting November 5 in Mohali.

'Cricket is becoming harder for bowlers'- 'I don't want it to be a batting affair otherwise you could just walk in with the umpire, with the bowling machine, put your hat on the bowling machine, walk away.' Brett Lee tells Harish Kotian on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the dynamics of cricket and why a bit of controlled aggression is needed in the sport.

JP Duminy in doubt for opening Test at Mohali- South Africa are still fretting over the fitness of their key batting all rounder Jean-Paul Duminy ahead of their opening Test against hosts India commencing at Mohali on November 5.

'Sachin didn't know how to score 200s, 300s'- Former India captain Kapil Dev says the iconic Sachin Tendulkar "did not know how to make double hundreds, triple hundreds and 400 though he had the ability" to scale such peaks and was "stuck in the Mumbai school of cricket".

BCCI officials brief IPL franchises on auction, new teams- Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur along with Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla on Wednesday met the representatives of the six IPL franchises to intimate them about the modalities of the Players' Auction for years 2016 and 2017.

'Frustration happens when the home team is denied desired pitch'- Amid the controversy over Team Director Ravi Shastri's alleged verbal duel with Wankhede curator, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has said there is bound to be frustration when a home team does not get a desired pitch but there should be control over the language.

Cricketer Amit Mishra arrested, given bail, in assault case- The police had asked Mishra to appear before them in a week's time. Mishra was booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 328 (causing hurt with intent to commit an offence).

Will BCCI take action against Shastri for 'abusing' Mumbai curator?- BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on Monday said action will be taken against team director Ravi Shastri if he is found guilty of reportedly abusing Mumbai Cricket Association curator Sudhir Naik following India's defeat in the fifth and final One-Day International against South Africa on Sunday.

Look who is backing Dhoni!- Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer backed under-fire limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying the time has not yet come to write him off, in Kolkata, on Monday.

SL v Windies: Herath, Siriwardana spin to series win- Rangana Herath picked up four wickets while spin partner Milinda Siriwardana took three as Sri Lanka defeated West Indies by 72 runs on the fifth day of the second and final Test on Monday to win the series 2-0.

'I did not make any racist remarks about the Bengali community'- Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir has dismissed Manoj Tiwary's allegations that he made racist comments against the Bengali community and Sourav Ganguly as a "figment of imagination", saying the Bengal captain should concentrate on his game rather than making sensational claims.

Indian team management unhappy with MCA over Wankhede track- The Indian team management was miffed with the Wankhede track prepared by the Mumbai Cricket Association ground staff for the deciding fifth and final ODI against South Africa which the hosts lost by 214 runs, enabling the visitors clinch the series 3-2

Our bowlers could not get much from the Wankhede pitch: Dhoni- A hapless Indian bowling attack was smashed all over the park by South African batsmen in the fifth and final ODI, which the home side lost by 214 runs, but captain MS Dhoni defended them, saying that the Wankhede wicket was "too true" to offer any assistance to them.

4 reasons why captain Dhoni is still defending his bowlers...- A hapless Indian bowling attack was smashed all over the park by South African batsmen in the fifth and final ODI, which the home side lost by 214 runs, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended them, saying that the Wankhede wicket was 'too true' to offer any assistance to them.

How Wankhede track upset Team India's calculations...- The Indian team management was miffed with the Wankhede track prepared by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) ground staff for the deciding fifth and final ODI against South Africa which the hosts lost by 214 runs to clinch the series 3-2, in Mumbai, on Sunday.

SA thrash India by 214 runs; clinch ODI series- Quinton de Kock, Faf de Plessis and AB de Villiers all scored hundreds as South Africa crushed India's bowling attack to post 438-4 and win the deciding One-day International by 214 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Records galore for South Africa in Mumbai ODI!- South Africa's mammoth total of 438 for four against India in the fifth and final One-dayer was the highest innings score in the country, besides being the joint third-highest ever in the world, in Mumbai, On Sunday.

Who is speaking the truth? Tiwary or Gambhir?- India discard Manoj Tiwary, who was involved in an ugly on-field altercation with Gautam Gambhir in a Ranji Trophy match, claimed that the Delhi skipper had made racist remarks about former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and Bengalis.

'Atmosphere not conducive for Indo-Pak cricket'- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Anurag Thakur said the atmosphere between India and Pakistan is not conducive for cricket right now and stressed on the importance of creating a good environment before resumption of the proposed bilateral series.

Gambhir, Tiwary come to blows during Ranji match- There were ugly scenes at Feroz Shah Kotla ground as rival captains Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary nearly came to exchanging blows during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal, in New Delhi on Saturday.

Pakistan v England: Misbah and Younis Khan destroy tourists- Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan made half-centuries as Pakistan ambled to 222 for three at the close on day three of the second Test on Saturday, 358 runs ahead of England after Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah had scuttled the tourists lower order before lunch.

BCCI set for major changes at AGM, president may no longer approve team- As a follow-up to the views expressed by Shashank Manohar soon after being re-elected as BCCI president earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to appoint an Ombudsman at its Annual General Meeting which will be held at its headquarters in Mumbai on November 9.

South Africa's Du Plessis fined for dissent- South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for showing dissent at an umpire's decision during the fourth one-day international against India in Chennai on Thursday.

'Virat will always play a big innings because that's his mindset'- Lavish in his praise for centurion Virat Kohli, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the swashbuckling batsman paced his knock very well while guiding India to what turned out to be a match-winning total against South Africa in the do-or-die fourth One-Day International in Chennai, on Thursday.

Plethora of records for AB, Kohli! INTERESTING numbers from Chennai ODI- Virat Kohli became only the fifth player overall to score a century in One-Day Internationals against all nine Test playing nations. Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar and Hashim Amla are the other players to achieved the feat. Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from the fourth ODI between India and South Africa in Chennai, on Thursday.

Ranji Trophy round-up: Sehwag, Yadav tons take Haryana to 319/8- Virender Sehwag celebrated his international retirement with a scintillating ton for Haryana as Jayant Yadav also joined the century-makers' list to help the side post 319 for eight on a dramatic Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy cricket league match against Karnataka on Thursday.

'Sehwag had a special gift from God, his hand-eye co-ordination'- Coach A N Sharma recalls his first meeting with Virender Sehwag way back in 1993 when he turned up at his academy in Vikaspur, West Delhi, wanting to be a cricketer. More than anything, he remembers how he had come across a young boy, who amongst other things, just wanted to hit every ball he faced.

Bowlers used to be scared when bowling to Sehwag: Harbhajan- As Virender Sehwag called time on his international career, Harbhajan Singh recalls the memories of playing alongside the swashbuckling right-hander, whom he met a long time ago during the Under-16 days and has been good friends since then.

India's batting great Sehwag retires from international cricket- The right-handed opener is regarded as one of the greats of Indian cricket and was one of their biggest match-winners, especially in Test cricket, where he scored 8,586 runs in 104 matches, with a strike rate of 82.23 and an average of 49.34, with 23 centuries, including two triple hundreds.

PCB chief Khan meets IPL chairman Shukla as Indo-Pak series hopes fade- Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan on Tuesday met Indian Premier League chief Rajiv Shukla at his residence in New Delhi in what was described as a 'courtesy call' in the backdrop of the furore surrounding talks for a possible resumption of India-Pakistan bilateral cricket ties.

Pakistan players could refuse to tour India for World T20: Abbas- Citing the incident of Shiv Sena activists storming the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai protesting against the resumption of bilateral cricket series between the arch-rivals, the ICC President Zaheer Abbas said he feared for Pakistan players' security during the World T20 in India next year.

BCCI's unique plan to attract buyers for two new IPL teams- The Board of Control for Cricket in India's top brass has gone into overdrive to decide on a revenue model that would work for the potential investors bidding for the two new Indian Premier League teams with the idea of 'Reverse Bidding' doing the rounds.

'Hoping India will give good news to cricketing world'- Condemning the attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai by Shiv Sena workers protesting against the proposed Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Zaheer Abbas said politics should never be mixed with sports.

Kohli is not somebody who is out of form, says Dhoni- Mainstay of Indian batting line-up, Virat Kohli was struggling to score runs of late. Since the arrival of South Africa team, the stylish right-hander has accumulated mere 67 runs in three innings - two T20s and two ODI matches.

INTERESTING numbers from Rajkot - 4 out of this 22 year old's 7 ODI hundreds have come against which country? Rajneesh Gupta has the numbers from the Rajkot ODI.

Skipper Dhoni backs under-fire Raina- Struggling for runs in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, under-fire Suresh Raina has got the much-needed backing of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who advised the middle-order batsman to give himself a bit more time before unleashing his big shots.

Find out why Dhoni's post-match media meet was disrupted...- The post-match media conference by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got disrupted for the second time in three years at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium, in Rajkot, on Sunday, because of laser show and bursting of crackers by the organisers.

De Kock, Morkel shine as South Africa steal victory in Rajkot ODI- Opening batsman Quinton de Kock provided the early flourish with the bat with his seventh century while fast bowler Morne Morkel applied the finishing touch with four wickets as South Africa beat India by 18 runs on Sunday to take a 2-1 series lead in Rajkot, on Sunday.

BCCI won't terminate CSK, Rajasthan; 10 teams in IPL from 2018- The BCCI will not be terminating Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals but will only be suspending the two franchises for a period of two years from the Indian Premier League (IPL) as per recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee.

China's Vivo replaces Pepsi as IPL title sponsor- Chinese mobile company Vivo replaced PepsiCo as the title sponsor of the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL), a change necessitated by the beverage giant's sudden pullout from a five-year deal that was to end in 2017.

Can PCB boss convince BCCI for Indo-Pak series?- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan and head of the PCB's executive committee Najam Sethi left for India in a bid to convince the BCCI to confirm the bilateral series in December.

How Pakistan lost the plot against England...- Former Pakistan players reacted strongly to the national team's 'great escape' in the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi with many saying that the batsmen's surrender in the second innings was appalling.

Cook proud as England nearly secure shock win- England captain Alastair Cook hailed his team's performance in drawing the first Test with Pakistan on Saturday after the tourists recovered from conceding more than 500 first innings runs to be within 25 of an improbable victory.

BCCI will not push for axing of Super Kings and Royals from IPL- The two troubled Indian Premier League franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, can breathe easy as members of the Board may not push for their termination at the Working Committee meeting to be chaired by newly appointed President Shashank Manohar in Mumbai on Sunday.

BCCI to decide about Indo-Pak series in next 10-12 days- PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Thursday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India President Shashank Manohar has invited him for talks on the proposed Indo-Pak cricket series, the future of which is uncertain in the wake of strained political relations between the two countries.

India manager Phadke fined for comments against umpire- India's team manager, Vinod Phadke, has been fined 40 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of making inappropriate comments about umpire Vineet Kulkarni ahead of Wednesday's second One-Day International against South Africa in Indore.

What you must know about 'Zak the Ripper'- There are bowlers who have a better statistical record than the 311 wickets in Tests and 282 in ODIs, but those figures do not reveal Zaheer Khan's match-winning abilities in all conditions

'Keeping it simple' was secret of Team India's success- Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have paved the way for India's victory with an unbeaten 92 in the second cricket ODI, but the skipper preferred to credit his bowlers for the series-levelling win against South Africa in Indore on Wednesday.

Captain Dhoni inspires India to victory in Indore ODI- Under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni marked his return to form with an unbeaten 92 as India recorded a 22-run victory over South Africa in the second One-Day International to level the five-match series 1-1 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, in Indore, on Wednesday.

1st Test: Pakistan declare after Malik falls on 245- Pakistan declared their first innings on 523 for eight shortly after Shoaib Malik's marathon knock of 245 came to an end in the final session of the second day's play in the opening test against England in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

1st Test: Karunaratne hits century to frustrate Windies- Opener Dimuth Karunaratne frustrated West Indies with a patient unbeaten century to help Sri Lanka reach 250-2 on the opening day and stay on course for a big first innings total in the first Test at Galle on Wednesday.

Japanese car maker turns to cricket to lure Indians- Nissan Motor Co has entered into an eight-year sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC), a company executive said, in a bid by the Japanese car maker to boost its small market share in cricket-crazy India.

No. 1-ranked Test team to be awarded $1 million from 2016- The International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced it has doubled the prize money of the top-ranked Test team to US $1 million from its existing $500,000 from April 1, next year and also increase investment in women's cricket by five-fold.

Record-breaker Younis overshadows Malik's returning ton- Younis Khan became Pakistan's all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket and Shoaib Malik scored his first century in almost six years, as the home side posted 286-4 at the end of the opening day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi.

Why Srinivasan represented BCCI at ICC Board meeting- International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman N Srinivasan yet again represented India at the governing body's board meeting that concluded in Dubai on Tuesday as the newly-elected Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar skipped the proceedings.

'Banned' Azhar's meeting with Ranji players in Delhi irks BCCI- The Board of Control for Cricket in India shot off a letter to the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) for allowing some of the Vidarbha cricketers to flout the Anti-Corruption norms by speaking to former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin during a Ranji Trophy match against Delhi at Feroz Shah Kotla last week.

REVEALED! Why Waqar resigned before 2015 World Cup...- Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has set off another controversy by claiming that the national team's head coach Waqar Younis had resigned before the 2015 World Cup after being insulted by Ahmed Shehzad.

Is Dhoni the 'finisher' finished?- Rajneesh Gupta presents a Look at close-run matches involving Mahendra Singh Dhoni to find out if India's best 'finisher' is finished.

SA fined for slow over-rate in first ODI- South Africa were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during Sunday's five-run victory over India in the opening game of the ODI series in Kanpur. The team's skipper, A B de Villiers, was docked 40 percent of his match fee.

'The Finisher' finished? India debate Dhoni- The 'helicopter shot' has disappeared, the boundaries are not flowing from his bat and the whisper is now growing louder that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no more the middle-order finisher.

Mishra back in the mix; keen to seal ODI spot- Making traditional leg-spin look attractive and effective in the opening One-day International against South Africa, India's Amit Mishra is keen to hold on to his ODI spot after an impressive return to the limited-overs field, in Kanpur, on Sunday.

Who gave permission to Dalmiya junior to represent NCC?- A section of members from the National Cricket Club (NCC), one of the affiliated voting units of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), questioned as to how late Jagmohan Dalmiya's son Avishek represented the club at the Special General Meeting of the BCCI on Saturday.

Team India look to revive fortunes in ODI series- With India being outplayed in the Twenty20s, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will face added pressure to perform and lead India from the front against a formidable South African unit in the five-match ODI cricket series starting in Kanpur on Sunday.

'I'm disappointed but the result won't give me sleepless nights'- Disappointed but not demoralised by the thrashing India got in the Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa, Team Director Ravi Shastri promised a strong comeback in the ODI series and said the experience from recent losses would be handy during next year's ICC World Twenty20.

Pepsi wants to end IPL sponsorship deal- The cash-rich Indian Premier League will have a new title sponsor for its next edition as PepsiCo "have shown a willingness to move out of the deal" with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Under fire Eden curator gets Shastri's backing- Team India director Ravi Shastri lauded the groundstaff at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata even as the Cricket Association of Bengal came under severe criticism for 'inefficiency' in the India-South Africa third Twenty20 International which was called off without a ball being bowled because of wet outfield.

Don't want a lot of grass cover for ODIs: Dhoni- Comprehensively outplayed by South Africa in both the T20 internationals of the just-concluded three-match series, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he does not want a lot of grass cover for the upcoming five-match ODI series, beginning October 11 in Kanpur.

Exclusive: The Sachin Tendulkar Interview!- In an exclusive chat with Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, Sachin Tendulkar explains why he chose to launch the All-Stars League in baseball-crazy America. He also offers advice on the new aggressive attitude of India's up-and-coming young players, saying aggression should be reflected in the way you play the game.

IPL experience key to South Africa's success in India T20s- Having already sealed the T20I series against India, South Africa batsman David Miller said the visitors are aiming to continue their good showing and complete a clean sweep in the three-match T20 International series in Kolkata, on Thursday.

Odisha CM orders probe into second T20 fiasco at Cuttack- Expressing displeasure over the manner in which the organisers handled the second T20 cricket match between India and South Africa at Cuttack, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a probe into the incident by the home secretary.

Captain Dhoni analyses India's T20 woes- Having slumped to an embarrassing T20 series defeat to South Africa, India's limited-overs' captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said "one bad performance per year" serves him a timely reminder that one should not use "too much brain" in the shortest format of the game.

Don't give Cuttack international match for two years: Gavaskar- Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar condemned the unruly crowd behaviour and police response to it during Monday's second Twenty20 International against South Africa, saying the Barabati stadium in Cuttack should be banned as an international venue for two years.

Srinivasan withdraws application for perjury against Thakur- International Cricket Council chairman Narayanswami Srinivasan on Monday withdrew the application for perjury against Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur after the matter came up for hearing before the Supreme Court.

SC tells BCCI to decide on Srinivasan's conflict of interest issue- The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's view on barring Narayanswami Srinivasan from participating in its meetings, saying it is free to stick to its stand that he has a conflict of interest "so long as a competent court of jurisdiction arrives at a decision to upset its view".

Why Shashank Manohar is the right choice for BCCI...- There was a leadership crisis in the Board of Control for Cricket in India following the passing away of former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, forcing the wise men in control of the all-powerful sports body to get into a huddle and recall Shashank Manohar to helm the Board yet again, four years after he had finished off his first term.

New president Manohar's 3-point agenda to clean BCCI's image- Immediately after taking over as the Board of Control for Cricket in India president for the second time, Shashank Manohar stressed that his priority is to address the conflict of interest in the BCCI, prevent corruption and make the functioning of the Board transparent.

All you need to know about the new BCCI boss- Shashank Manohar, who took over as the 36th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is known for his integrity and regains control of the country's richest sporting body at a time when cricket's image has been tarnished by the spot-fixing scandal and intense factionalism.

Bedi, Kumble, Amarnath depose before Lodha Commission- Former India captains Bishan Singh Bedi and Anil Kumble along with yesteryear's great Mohinder Amarnath had deposed before the Justice Lodha Committee as they prepare an exhaustive report on the restructuring and reforms that need to be carried by the BCCI.

PCB demand compensation if India refuse to play Pakistan in December- With serious doubts hanging over the proposed bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan later this year, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan on Thursday said they are open to options ranging from boycotting ties to demanding compensation if the Board of Control for Cricket in India fails to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two boards.